Sleeping Beauty
by JaninaM8
Summary: From a gif post on Tumblr. Jane is sleeping and will not wake up. Thor goes off to find out who did this to his bride-to-be, and Loki spends his days by her bedside, worrying over this mortal that he hadn't wanted to care for. Will a kiss from Loki awaken Jane? And then what happens if it does...
1. Part I

**Part I**

Jane Foster sang. Mostly to Loki. She sang songs from Midgard when she couldn't think of any other way to express what she was thinking or feeling. One song remained a constant and Loki found he could hum the tune – if wanted to, and he didn't want to. Well…maybe now he did. Anyway, the song went a little something like "You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you, don't you…?"

Loki found himself thinking of that song as he slipped into her bedchamber to find her, as she had been for the past thirty days, sleeping. In his mind's eye he could see the glint she'd get in her eyes when she'd start singing the song to him. She loved to tease him. She was the only one that could without suffering any repercussions.

Loki stared down at Jane as she slept on. She looked so peaceful, and sometimes Loki caught a grin lifting the corners of her mouth. He wondered what she dreamed of. More likely it was who, and not what. Thor, of course. Her betrothed. Why wouldn't she dream of him, of the man she was to wed…Or at least had been going to wed until one morning after Jane had eaten breakfast and had informed Thor she felt ill and was going to lay down.

She had lain down and had yet to awaken. Thor being Thor went on a rampage and took himself out of Asgard to find a cure for his bride-to-be after the healers came up empty on their diagnosis. He had also gone to find out who had done this to Jane and would no doubt kill them when he found out. Loki and Frigga kept watch over Jane, and every day Loki grew more and more worried about her.

He heard the door behind him slide open and then shut with a hum. He felt his mother's presence without her having to say a word as she came up to stand beside him. Loki tried and failed to school his features into one of stoicism. What was the use? His mother knew by now that Loki's feelings for Jane were more than one should have for a future sister-in-law. How much he cared he dared not speak it aloud, dared not to even think it, and he was thankful that his mother never made him do so.

"How is our patient?" Frigga murmured softly.

Loki shrugged and said in a normal tone, "The same."

He moved away from his mother and sat down in what was now "his spot" in a chair beside Jane's bed. Her face was turned toward him and he wanted to reach out and touch her soft skin. If he was alone he would, but with his mother there he dared not.

"What hope is there for Jane, Mother?" he asked softly.

"There is always hope, Loki," Frigga said.

"if my magick can't break her sleep and Thor hasn't yet found anything…" Loki sighed again and rubbed his forehead in frustration. "She would hate this. I wonder sometimes if she knows. If she can hear us. If she is trying desperately to open her eyes and just cannot. The daft woman cannot sit still for five minutes and now she has slept for thirty days? She'd be mortified."

Frigga's laugh was light as she sat in the chair on the other side of Jane. "You and Jane have come to know each other well, haven't you?"

Loki nodded and allowed himself to touch Jane's hand. "Don't tell her I said this, but she has a brilliant mind for a mortal. She loathes when I say that."

Frigga blinked. "When you tell her she has a brilliant mind?"

Loki grinned. "No, when I tell her 'for a mortal'. She had started to put her hand over my mouth before I could get the words out." Loki chuckled in memory of the last time he had taught her a simple magic trick: how to shut her alarm clock off in the morning without having to get up and march across the room to do so.

"Why do you even have an alarm clock?" Loki had asked her.

Jane had frowned. "Well, because I'm usually up late with Thor. He's a night owl despite all he does during the day and so I try to stay up with him. Night time is the only time I really get to see him while he's off doing whatever for your father. Then he gets up at the butt crack of dawn—"

"Pardon?"

"It's an expression. It means he gets up really early. I don't want to get up too late and give your father any more reason to hate me so I have an alarm clock to make it in time for breakfast."

Loki had sighed then, thinking a. his brother was a lummox for not understanding that mortals needed their sleep and b. his father was also a lummox for being so hard on Jane. "Stop trying so hard," Loki had told her softly.

"I'm not the only one trying to win points here," Jane had said and looked at him pointedly. "I recall a certain God of Mischief trying to make right what he'd done wrong in Puente Antiguo." Loki had shot her a glare to which Jane had just grinned and shrugged. "So, will you teach me?"

"Just so I understand, oh Jane of Midgard – you place your alarm clock across the room because….?"

"Because otherwise I would shut it off and roll over to go back to sleep."

He stared at her. "Jane. How is me teaching you to shut it off not going to end in the same result? Isn't this defeating the purpose?"

She had frowned. "Well, yeah, but…okay, how about just the snooze then?"

He had laughed, because what else could he do? His mortal – no, wait, no, not his mortal – was a bit touched in the head. She had caught on quickly and afterwards when he'd told her that she'd done well she had quickly put her hand over his mouth and laughed. "Don't say it!" she'd exclaimed, her eyes bright with laughter.

"Framrtal," he had mumbled against her hand and she'd shot him a mock glare to which he'd simply laughed.

"Mortals," Frigga said, "seem to have their own talents. Don't you think?"

Loki said nothing. He knew exactly what his mother meant and he chose to ignore it. "What do we do?" he whispered. He hated this. Hated feeling at a loss. Hated having something not even his magick and manipulations could fix. Whatever had bound her in this…spell, had bound her good.

"We wait. We have patience. Your brother will find a cure, of this I have no doubt."

Loki bristled at that and stood. He didn't care to hear about how Thor would come through for Jane. The simple fact was Loki wanted to be the one to find the cure for her. And he'd tried everything – he'd tried getting into her dreams, visited other realms, made threats, used his magick exhaustively – he'd done _everything_ to find what would help Jane and to no avail. He couldn't get inside her head, couldn't find any answers. Yet somehow _Thor _was going to because he, what – twirled his hammer around, knocked a few heads together?

"I have some things to do, I'll be back," Loki said and got to his feet. His mother said nothing as she watched him go. Loki would come back later and hopefully he would be alone with Jane.


	2. Part II

**Part II**

Loki slipped into Jane's bedchamber later that night when he was sure his mother and father had retired for the evening. He did this sometimes since she had fallen into her deep sleep. When he found sleep elusive himself, though as a God he didn't require much of it. Still though, when he was restless he found that being near Jane helped him. It was like that when she was awake, too.

He remembered the first time he'd met Jane when she'd come to Asgard after the BiFrost had been mended. Thor had gone almost immediately to get her. Jane had come, though Loki could tell she had some reservations about it. She had given up her life on Earth to be with Thor, though her husband-to-be did promise that she could visit whenever she liked.

It wasn't the same though, and Loki understood that. Thor did as well on some level, but he was so busy with carrying out the All-Father's commands that what Jane was often left to deal with things on her own.

It had been about a week since Jane had arrived in Asgard and she'd come up to Loki in the gardens one day and said strongly and clearly, "I think what you did to your brother was a real asshole move. You betrayed him, not to mention Odin and Frigga. However, Thor tells me you're trying to make up for all that happened and while the jury is still out on whether or not I believe that, I'm going to be your sister-in-law and so I want to get along with you."

"And why should I care to get along with you?" Loki had asked with a sneer. How dare a mortal speak to him thusly?

Jane had faltered for half a second, so quick that if anyone hadn't been paying attention they would have missed it. Loki had been paying attention, however. Close attention. She'd looked at him sharply, and he could see her working out whether or not he'd seen her falter. Then she squared her shoulders, arched her brow, and looked down at her nose at him. At _him_. "Because we're going to be related. Because you need to win some points with the family and…"

"And?"

"And I'm awesome. Why wouldn't you want to get along with me?"

That he had not been expecting. And it made him laugh.

Their friendship had grown from there, although it had been a slow build with Jane very much wondering just how much she could trust him. Change wasn't easy for Loki, and in some ways he hadn't changed at all. But being good and fending off the crave for power was a daily struggle for him. He played good-natured tricks to keep himself interested – changing Thor into Sif in the middle of a conversation with Jane, making a flower that Jane plucked disappear as soon as it was in her grasp, and having Thor called away at dinner so that he could take Thor's seat beside Jane at the table.

All his tricks then centered around Jane. Making her laugh or making her fume – it didn't matter as long as she paid attention to him. She was really the only one that paid much attention to him anyway. Odin didn't seem to want to have much to do with him, and while Frigga always made it a point to seek him out and speak with him every day, she had her own matters to attend to. Everyone else saw him as nothing but a traitor and so avoided him like the plague.

Jane though, she sought him out. She asked him endless questions about Asgard, the Nine Realms, magick, the stars. Happy to have someone to impart his knowledge to, he taught her what he knew. Well, almost all of what he knew. Magick was something he had not taught her much about, mostly because he felt the pressure from the All-Father, Frigga, and Thor not to. Apparently they all felt that until the wedding happened, things were still up in the air as far as whether or not Jane would stay on Asgard. They did not want to release a mortal back to Earth having learned the mechanics of magick. It didn't make a lot of sense to Loki – did Thor still have doubts? Or was this the All-Father being a cranky old goat? – but he went along with it.

When Loki was feeling rather dark and wanting to rain hell-fire on Asgard, Jane was there to snap him out of his mood whether that meant attempting to make him laugh or poking holes in all of his not-yet-developed-plans. Good God in Valhalla, she could be annoying.

And, when she missed home and felt as though Odin was out to get her, Loki was there to cheer her up , which usually consisted of some petty trick and commiserating with her on how horrible Odin could be. It was something new to him, this making someone else feel better. Others had tried to make him feel better, but to no avail. Yet he found that when it came to Jane he was rather _good_ at it. It helped that Jane's darkness rather matched his own, yet she lacked the follow-through or any desire to do real harm. She tempered him in that way, systematically easing his dark thoughts and vengeful tendencies.

Was it possible he could actually be _good_? Even nice? Perhaps. But only with Jane.

He sat down now beside her and contemplated her sleeping form. What was it about her? This mortal that had so changed his brother and now him? What power did she possess for clearly she had to. There was no other explanation for it.

"You do realize that this has past ridiculous, Jane," he told her softly. "It's now passed into downright pathetic. Lazy mortal. Whatever am I to do with you?"

Loki sucked in a shuddering breath as emotion threatened to overwhelm him. Without Jane to make him smile, to challenge him, argue with him, verbally spar with him, and tease him he felt out to sea. Bereft. What he wouldn't give to see her smile at him. Even roll her eyes at him and sigh while saying "Oh, Loki…"

He hunched forward until his face was inches from hers. She still smelled sweet, like the gardens of Asgard. He smiled sadly and ran a hand over her hair. "I miss you," he said achingly. "I find I…I need you, Jane."

A tear dropped on her cheek and he was surprised to find that it was his. He wiped at his eyes and rolled his eyes. He was being maudlin. He had better go before he was given to openly weeping at her side. He leaned down and, with a mischievous smirk, pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

He sat back and was about to stand and depart when Jane moved to her back and moaned. He watched with wide eyes as her eyes fluttered and then opened and looked right at him. She yawned. "Loki. How long have I been asleep?" she asked. "Did I miss lunch?"


	3. Part III

**Part III**

Loki could only gape at Jane in a not very Prince-like manner – if he was even that anymore, but that was a different story for another time.

She looked groggy and confused as she looked at him and stretched. "What are you doing in here?" she asked. "Were you sent to fetch me?" She noticed the chair he sat in and her brows furrowed. "Loki? What the hell – were you _watching_ me sleep?"

"Jane—" he began and then stopped when she attempted to sit up and fell back onto the bed. She grunted and frowned and Loki got up and sat down beside her. He took hold of her arms and she struggled against him.

"Loki, what the hell are you doing?" she growled.

"I'm helping you sit up," he told her and pulled her up.

"Why are you – why do my limbs feel like jelly?"

"Jane, you've been asleep for thirty days."

She blinked, stared at him, and then shook her head. "I'm being serious."

"I am—"

"No, you're not. I know I probably missed lunch, but I think you're being overly dramatic. I'm sure Odin was pleased to not see me at his table. Move. I want to get up."

Loki stood reluctantly and got ready to catch her when she inevitably fell. Her limbs would not work properly after having been asleep for thirty days. Her muscles would have no strength. Jane swung her legs slowly to the side of the bed and pushed up. As predicted, her legs gave way and Loki caught her in his arms. Jane's eyes went wide with confusion and panic and she gripped Loki tight on the arms. "Loki, what's going on?"

"Jane, you've been asleep for thirty days," he repeated.

"How is that possible?"

"What is the last thing you remember?"

"Having breakfast. Telling Thor I was tired and needed to lay down."

"You did. And then you didn't wake up."

"That's not possible. How is that possible?"

"We tried to find out how; we looked for a cure. The healers could find nothing—"

Jane pulled out of his arms abruptly and sat down with a thud on the bed. She looked up him, her eyes narrowed. "What did you do to me?"

Loki took a step back as though she'd slapped him. "I didn't do anything to you!" he exclaimed in a burst of anger. "How dare you assume that I—"

"Because you don't play tricks, right Loki?" she snapped.

He glared at her. "I wouldn't make you sleep for a month, Jane! I wouldn't do that to you!"

She glared at him until her eyes filled with tears and she looked away. "I don't understand what happened. Who did this to me?"

"We don't know."

"Where's Thor? I want to see Thor. What time is it? What day? What's going on? What have I missed?" She sounded panicked; she looked panicked, too.

Loki ignored how her asking for Thor felt like a stab to his heart. "He's gone. He's not here. He left after the healers couldn't find a cure and I couldn't use my magick to

get you out of it. It's late, everyone is asleep. I believe according to Midgard days, it's Wednesday."

"I suppose the day doesn't really matter," Jane muttered. She raked a hand through her hair and looked up at Loki, looking lost. "Loki…what's wrong with me?"

Loki knelt before her and took her hands in his. "Jane, as far as the healers could tell there was nothing wrong – you just wouldn't wake up. You're not dying, there wasn't any harm to your body…we'll have them look at you again and make sure."

"I don't want to sleep again," she said and shifted further down the bed. "What if I don't wake up for another thirty days? Or ever?"

"I'll stay up with you," he told her and rose to sit beside her. "I won't leave you alone, Jane."

"I don't understand how this happened. Thirty days? A whole month? How? Why?" she swallowed hard and he knew she was trying not to cry. Taking a chance, Loki wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she leaned into him and buried her face in his chest and started to cry. "And now my muscles have atrophied. My fiancé is God-knows-where…Odin must hate me even more for having become such a burden—"

"Do not concern yourself with what Odin thinks," Loki said harshly, not angry with Jane, but angry with his "father" for making Jane feel this way.

"Is there any way to call Thor back?" she asked in a small voice.

"Yes," Loki said, ignoring the stab of pain again. "I will take care of it."

"Are you tired?" she asked softly after a long moment of silence.

"No." He smiled as he stared across the room. "I'm relieved. And happy."

"Why?" she asked and looked up at him.

He smiled gently down at her. "Because you're finally awake."

Her smile was soft, wistful. "You weren't pleased to be rid of me for a while?"

"No, Jane, no," he said forcefully, horrified that she would think such a thing. "I was worried about you – we all were. I came to visit you every day as did my mother. I tried everything in my power to get you to awaken. I couldn't reach you, I couldn't get into your dreams, I couldn't find a way to get you up and I tried so hard—"

"Loki, stop," she said and put a hand to his mouth. "I'm teasing."

He moved her hand away and shook his head. "Don't tease about that."

She looked confused and had that spark of curiosity in her caramel colored eyes that bespoke of trouble. Loki was afraid he would show her too much if she looked at him too long. He felt too much, that was for certain. His emotions were a jumble inside of him. Jane was awake! She was out of that dreadful sleep and…and she wanted Thor. She was scared. And she wanted Thor. She was weak. And she wanted Thor.

Well, what did he think? Thor was the one she was betrothed to. Of course she would want him there. Now that the reality of how long she'd been in slumber was setting in she was realizing how much time had been missed. How Thor was away from here with Sif trying to find a cure and the culprit.

Loki felt useless. Her hero would have gone off to find answers, her hero would not have stayed behind doing nothing but worrying and wondering. Yes, he had done what he could in his own way, but he wasn't off threatening realms and other beings to restore her to him like Thor no doubt was. Was that not what Jane wanted? The kind of man – God – that she desired? Not someone like him. Someone weak and useless –

"What woke me up?"

Jane's question cut through the room and hit Loki like a blast of magick. His kiss. His kiss had woken her. What else could it have been? Unless it was some odd thirty day spell…but with most spells the natural end would come on the anniversary of the time it had begun, and that was this morning.

It had to have been his kiss. She had woken up right after, after all. But what would happen if he told her that? He didn't even know what it meant. If it meant anything at all.

Loki turned and did what he did best: lied. "I'm not sure. Whatever…enchantment you were under broke. Perhaps it was a thirty day spell."

Her brow furrowed and he could see her trying to process this and reconcile it with her scientific mind.

"What do you say we take a turn about the room, hmmm?" he suggested and came over to her. "Let's get your limbs back in working order."

"It will take more than a night for that," she murmured.

"No time like the present to start though, don't you think?"

She nodded absently and Loki pulled her to her feet. Her focus shifted to walking and Loki wondered what this all meant. Was it true? Had his kiss really been the thing to wake her up? And if so – what did that mean? And why?


	4. Part IV

"You look perplexed," Loki observed as he studied Jane. They had been playing what Jane called poker to while away the time until dawn Jane now looked pained. She bit her lip and stared at her cards. "Jane," he said. "What's wrong?"

She looked up at him. "What?"

"What's troubling you? You have that crease between your brows you get when something is upsetting you or you're concentrating really hard."

Her brow furrowed further and he wondered if he had somehow crossed a line. Was he not supposed to notice these things about her? It wasn't as though that single act alone made her special. He noticed everything, it was what he did. If he didn't he wouldn't be able to pull off some of his tricks so well. He had to be able to plot and to plan, and that included knowing how others would react to certain things. Granted, in this instance of his kiss having woken Jane he felt off balance himself. It wasn't a feeling he was comfortable with.

She sighed and tossed her cards on the table between them. "I'm tired," she said. "I know it sounds weird after all the sleep I just had, but I'm tired. It must be—"

And at the same time they said, "Sensory overload."

She smiled and he grinned at her. It wasn't the first time he and Jane had done that. In fact, strangely enough, out of everyone in Asgard, it was this Midgardian woman whom he had most in common with. Their minds worked well together. His was of course of a more mischievous bent, but then there was Jane to ground him. But they were both able to reason and, as Loki had learned – his magick was not so far off from her science.

When he'd taught her to flip the snooze button on her alarm clock she had applied her beloved science to it, using theories on energy and matter and other terms that just explained how she was able to manipulate the energy around her to move the snooze button. It all came down to the same thing with just another way to explain it. He remembered how happy she had been when two days later she had explained to him in great detail how it was all done. He'd laughed when she'd said that understanding how had given her even more power to move the button. "Loki," she'd said, laughing, "I moved the clock clear across the room!"

He'd laughed, wishing he could have seen it. And he'd been proud, too. He'd done something right. Something good. And it had made Jane happy. He came to find he enjoyed making Jane happy.

"Can you hold on a little while longer?" he asked, bringing himself back to the present. "The healers will be ready to see you in just an hour or so. Can you make it until then?"

"Loki, does it really matter if they see me or not? Whatever happened to me they couldn't figure it out to begin with. What will they see now that they didn't see before?"

"Just humor me, please."

She sighed. "Fine. And you'll call Thor back at dawn, too?"

"Yes," he said a bit tightly.

If she noticed she didn't say a word. She just rubbed her forehead and yawned. "The things I do for you," she muttered and pushed slowly to her feet. "So. Shall we take another walk?"

"How did this happen, Loki?" Frigga asked from beside her son as the healers scanned Jane from head to toe, searching for a trace of…anything.

"I haven't a clue," Loki said easily. He was a born liar after all. He felt the shift of energy from his mother beside him. She didn't believe him.

Loki looked at her. "You don't believe me."

She said nothing, just pursed her lips together and then asked, "Have you called Thor?"

"Not yet."

"Why don't you do that while I stay with Jane?"

Loki pursed his lips together. He really didn't want to leave Jane's side.

"What were the two of you doing together all night anyway?" Frigga asked, keeping her gaze on Jane on the healers table.

"Walking, talking, playing cards."

Frigga nodded and then looked at him pointedly. "Your brother?"

"Yes, it is time for the hero to come home isn't it?" Loki said, unable to stop the bitterness in his tone. He left the room before his mother could say anything else.

Once Loki was outside and alone he closed his eyes and sent out his "feelers" to Thor. Once he felt Thor's thunderous energy he sent the message: iJane is awake./i.

He felt Thor's exultation, relief, and…guilt? Odd, that. Loki cut the connection to his brother before Thor could even respond. With his "duty" done, Loki went back inside to see how Jane was faring.

She had just finished by the time Loki had arrived. She looked exhausted.

"They found nothing," Jane told him and Frigga. Her eyes welled up in tears. "I'm so tired but I'm afraid to sleep."

"Don't be afraid to sleep, Jane," Frigga said gently and pulled Jane into her side the way she'd done when Loki and Thor were young boys. "The spell is broken."

"How do you know?" Jane asked and sniffled.

"I just know."

Loki eyed his mother suspiciously. Did she actually know or was she just trying to make Jane feel better? She sounded rather certain. . .

The ground shook then and they heard the sound of thunder in the distance. Loki sighed. Thor had arrived.

"Thor?" Jane said weakly and looked toward the doors.

"Loki called him," Frigga said and helped Jane to the doors as they headed to the Great Hall. Loki followed, wondering how this little reunion was going to go…and why he'd felt guilt coming from Thor.

"Jane!" Thor's booming voice sounded through the hall as soon as Frigga, Loki, and Jane entered. Jane moved out of Frigga's arms and stepped toward Thor as Thor rushed to her and swept her up in his arms.

Jealousy ate at Loki. It twisted in his gut and he felt as though he was going to choke on it. This was not the same as when Thor would get all the glory after a battle, no this was different. Deeper. And it made his heart ache – something Loki almost resented Jane for. She'd done something to him, just as she'd done something to Thor. He'd thought Thor weak to have fallen in love in the first place, but then to fall in love with a mortal to boot? Ridiculous sentimental fool.

Loki watched Jane cling to Thor as though he was her lifeline and Loki felt his heritage as a Frost Giant stir inside him. He wanted to unleash his fury, his jealousy, he wanted to pull Jane away from Thor and remind her who had been with her all through the night. Who had helped her walk, played games with her, kept her awake for the healers and called Thor to her side in the first place. Loki was the one with her every day, talking to her, worrying about her.

And, Loki thought with a cruel smile spreading across his features, he was the one to have woken her up. With his kiss.

"What happened? What finally roused you?" Thor asked as he ran his fingers through Jane's hair.

"Me," Loki announced. Frigga, Thor, Jane, and Sif who stood in the distance all looked at him. "I woke her up."

"How?" Thor asked.

Loki met Thor's eyes straight on. "I kissed her."


	5. Part V

**Part V**

Jane's jaw dropped and she gaped at Loki. Frigga looked stunned, Sif too. And, after the shock had passed over his features, Thor looked, well, thunderous. "What do you mean you kissed her?" Thor demanded, his voice an angry growl that practically shook the hall.

Loki lifted his chin in defiance. "I kissed her. And after, she woke up. You do know what a kiss is, right Thor?"

"I'm surprised you do," Thor snapped and took a menacing step forward, lifting his hammer as though he was contemplating hitting Loki with it. He probably was. Loki didn't care about that, but he did not appreciate the obvious dig at Loki's lack of sexual and romantic entanglements. It wasn't as though he was starved for female attention, he'd had plenty over the years. Granted, not as many as Thor – oh, wait.

"Yes, well, we can't all be like you now, can we?" Loki said and made a show of straightening his sleeves. "A different woman on your arm every night…I recall Sif being one of them. Am I remembering that correctly, Sif?"

Sif glared at him, Thor growled again, but it was Jane's hurt expression that troubled Loki. She looked questioningly at Thor, but Thor was too busy glaring at Loki to see it. She shook her head then and looked at Loki. "When I asked you what might have happened to wake me up why didn't you tell me you kissed me?" she asked.

Loki didn't want to admit that at the time he'd had a stroke of conscious and hadn't wanted to upset her. Besides, he still wasn't certain that it was his kiss that had done it.

"Loki," Jane prompted and stepped forward on shaky legs. "Why did you say nothing?"

Loki watched Thor reach out and offer his support to Jane and something further snapped inside Loki. "I pick my moments, darling," he told her. "What is the saying you Earthens have? More bang for my buck?"

Jane's face crumpled from one of hurt to one of distaste and she started to turn away from Loki when Thor lunged forward, unknowingly causing Jane to fall to her knees with the sudden movement. Frigga went to help her immediately and Loki magicked himself away from Thor to Jane's other side.

"Jane," Loki murmured as he knelt down beside her and placed his hand upon her back. "Are you hurt?"

Jane jerked away from his touch and glared daggers at him. "Don't touch me, Loki."

"Jane," Thor said, sounding contrite. "Are you well?"

"You moved too fast, you barreling idiot," Loki hissed as he got to his feet. "She's weak from being asleep for so long, and she's tired."

Thor pointed at him. "Get away from her, Loki."

"Or what? You'll banish me from Asgard?" Loki taunted.

"You're on very thin ice, brother!"

"Thor, just stop," Jane said tiredly as she got to her feet. "God, Loki, why do you have to be such a jackass?"

"This is the thanks I get for waking you up?" Loki demanded. He wasn't really angry with Jane's comment. On some level he knew he'd deserved it even. He was just so tired of Thor getting everything Loki wanted – glory, the power, fame, one day the crown…

Jane.

He wanted Jane. And for once Loki had been the one to do something…well…could kissing Thor's bride-to-be, be considered heroic?

"You want me to thank you for kissing me, not telling me you kissed me when I asked you point blank what woke me up, and then deciding to drop that little bomb now?" Jane shook her head. "I don't think so. It wasn't as if you did it to help me, you just did it—"

"Because I care for you?" Loki offered.

"No, you don't. You only care about hurting Thor. One upping him. If you can do that using me then why not, right? It's not like I have feelings." She looked close to tears and it upset Loki more than he cared to admit seeing that.

"Jane, let's go lie down," Thor said gently and swept her up in his arms.

Jane clutched at him as Thor carried her off and she looked at Loki over Thor's armor. She looked angry, hurt, betrayed – what most people felt after dealing with him.

She looked away from him and Loki sighed and stared down at the floor. Why did he have to sabotage any good thing that came his way? He loved Jane and—

Wait.

"Loki, what were you thinking?" Frigga asked, looking rather calm and unruffled. She hated it when Loki and Thor fought, and yet here she was, seemingly undisturbed.

Loki pursed his lips together and looked toward where Thor and Jane had disappeared to. Sif, he noticed, was gone. He shook his head. "It doesn't matter."

"I beg to differ. You love Jane, don't you?"

Loki's breath hitched and he felt the pull of yearning in his chest. "Mother—"

"You can't fool me."

Loki smirked. "No? You do remember that I am the God of—"

"Even you cannot hide that much. And you're not impervious to love, Loki."

This is what he loved about his mother the best: she was firm with him in a way that no other was. Well…no other except for Jane.

"Why did you kiss her?" Frigga asked softly.

"I care very much for Jane, Mother—"

"Liar."

"Well, yes."

"Loki."

"You know why," Loki said softly.

"And this display here? Was that because you were jealous seeing Jane with your brother?"

"It appears you're perfectly capable of filling in the blanks yourself," Loki told her jovially. "You hardly need me at all."

"Are you going to tell her? Or are you going to allow her to believe that she is nothing but a pawn in your game to best Thor?"

"What am I if I am not endlessly seeking ways to do just that?" Loki asked with a hint of bitterness in his voice.

"Why do you not ask Jane? I'm sure she can answer that for you."

With that, Frigga left, leaving Loki to silently contemplate her words.

"Let me take care of you. What do you need?" Thor asked gently as he placed Jane down upon her bed. She still had a "her bed" because the All-Father was a prude and wouldn't allow Jane and Thor to bunk together until they were married. Of all the things Jane knew of pagan Gods and Goddesses, this was perhaps the most disappointing: some Gods had two by fours up their ass about every little thing.

"Will you just hold me?" Jane asked. "I missed you. I mean, technically I was asleep and when I woke up I thought it was the same day and since I thought it was the same day I had just seen you that morning, but—"

Thor laughed and placed a finger on her lips. "Breathe."

Jane smiled. "Will Odin be okay if you just held me for a while as I slept?"

"The old man will learn to deal with it," Thor said as he stripped off his armor until he was just in a tunic and breeches. He climbed in beside Jane and wrapped his strong arms around her.

Jane smiled and shut her eyes, but then her smile faded and her eyes opened as she thought of Loki and the bomb he'd dropped on them all.

"Loki didn't tell you he kissed you?" Thor asked softly.

"No. I found out at the same time you did."

"What does it mean, Jane? What does it mean that his kiss woke you?"

"It means nothing because we don't even know for certain that was what woke me. It could have just been a coincidence."

"I don't always believe in coincidences."

"Perhaps you should start," she quipped softly. "It means nothing, Thor, and you know what? We don't even know that he actually even kissed me. Who was there to see it? No one. This is Loki we're talking about. Dessert is missing – it's Loki. You see a bull charging you – it's Loki. He doesn't like what you say so he steals your voice – it's Loki."

"What?"

"Story for another time."

"He still wishes to hurt me," Thor muttered.

"I'm so glad I don't have siblings."

"No doubt you would have been the favorite," Thor told her and she smiled and looked over her shoulder at him.

"You think so?" she asked.

"I do," he said and smiled charmingly at her.

Jane grinned and turned in his arms and kissed him softly.

Thor stroked her hair from her face and tempered the kiss before it grew heated. "Sleep, Jane. Rest."

"What if I don't wake up again?" Jane whispered fearfully.

"Then this time _I_ will kiss you."

Thor watched as Jane smiled and allowed her eyes to shut. His own smile fell. He had kissed Jane though. Right before he left to find a cure for her.

_His_ kiss had not done a bloody damn thing.


	6. Part VI

**Part VI**

Jane was on a mission to have a little chat with the God of Mischief. Of course, being Loki, he was never one to make anything easy on her which was why she was having a bitch of a time finding him.

Thor was off talking to his father for what promised to be a long discussion about his travels, so Jane had gone to Loki's usual haunts. But the God of I-Don't-Want-To-Be-Found was making her work for it.

By the time she finally figured out that he was up in the tower of Asgard, a spot he often took her to so that he could teach her a few magick tricks and teach her about a few planets and constellations, Jane was exhausted. Her muscles having atrophied were wearing her down quickly. With her hand on the railing to the stairs that led to the tower she wondered if she could convince Odin to put in some freaking elevators. This stairs everywhere business was ridiculous.

She sucked in a deep breath and decided to crawl like a child up the stairs. She was sure anyone seeing her do this would think she was nuts, but she didn't care. She was on a mission.

When she reached the top she found Loki with his back to her, staring out at the sky and Jane dropped onto her back on the floor and let out a mighty sigh. Loki turned quickly and rushed over. He looked worried.

"Jane, what in the name of Valhalla are you doing?" he asked as he loomed over her.

"I came to talk to you," she panted.

"About?"

She shot him a withering look. "Really?"

He smirked and attempted to help her to her feet. She shook her head and waved his hands away. "No, just let me lie here and die."

"Don't talk like that," Loki said sharply and glowered down at her.

She grunted and moved up to lean on her elbows. "Is it true?"

"What?" he asked as he squatted down beside her, facing her.

"You know what."

His gaze flickered to her lips and Jane shifted under the intensity of his gaze. "Yes," he said softly.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Loki, you're not stupid so let's cut out the part where you pretend you don't know what I'm talking about and just get to it, all right?"

"Because I wanted to," he said simply.

"You just decided 'Hey, you know what I haven't done yet? Kissed Jane. Why the hell not'?"

"Jane, you're not a stupid woman so let's cut out the part where you pretend not to know why one would kiss another and just get to it, all right?" He got up and walked away from her and Jane climbed to her feet and went after him. "Don't, Loki. You know as well as I do – or at least I think you do – that there are more than one reason to kiss someone. I was sleeping for crying out loud it wasn't as if we were having a moment!"

"I wanted to kiss you because I—!" He broke off and shook his head.

"Because you…?"

"Don't make me say it," he whispered and rubbed his forehead.

"Do you have feeling for me that are…that are romantic in nature?"

"Yes."

"Are you lying?"

"Must you ask me that every time we have a conversation, Jane?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed and threw up her arms in frustration. "Because you're a liar, Loki! It's what you do. You lie. You lie and you do things to hurt your brother. You said it yourself yesterday that you were just waiting for your moment. Your moment to tell everyone that you kissed me and for what – _so you could hurt Thor_." She shook her head and walked away from him. "Forget this. You are impossible and I'm not—"

But then Loki grabbed her and yanked her into his arms. He kissed her hard, plundering her mouth with his until all Jane knew was Loki and his arms like steel around her, his lips like silk on hers. She felt herself sink into him a second before she came back to herself and attempted to push out of his arms. Loki, however, had other ideas.

He pushed her back against the wall and leaned into her, his hot breath fanning her face. "Did you feel it, Jane? Was that enough proof of my feelings for you?"

She looked at him, unable to find her voice.

"You stupid mortal," he growled. "What have you done to me?"

Now she glared at him. "I am not stupid and you just said so yourself."

He pushed away from her and she stood there, unsure of what to say or do.

"I care for you, Jane," he said, sounding almost broken. "I care more for you than I should. Far more than I should for the woman about to marry my brother. I thought Thor stupid. Weak. Love a mortal? How could he possibly stoop so low?"

"Now just hold on—"

"But then you came here." He turned to face her, his eyes wild. There was something untamed about him in that moment that almost frightened Jane. She knew what he was capable of, but since she had come to Asgard she had not seen it. He had almost been…neutered. Contrite. The man— the God— before her now was not contrite. He was not constrained. He was ready to pounce.

"You came here and disrupted everything. You made me _feel_. I didn't want to feel anything but hate for all that I'd lost."

She quirked a brow. "You lost because you attempted to take what wasn't yours and in the wrong way."

"It was all rightfully mine—"

"You're like a toddler that hasn't learned to share! Get over it, Loki. You know what – pass the tissues, we've all got issues. Your Daddy issues and your giant ego is the problem here, not Thor. Not me. It's you."

"What do you, a mortal, know of what it means to be in line for the throne and to lose it to someone like Thor who just goes about smashing things with his hammer?"

"I know what it's like to want something so much that you can practically touch it. I also know what it's like to then lose it and to be devastated about it. That sums up my entire career as a scientist." She moved forward. "I also know that absolute power corrupts, Loki, and that you were corrupted enough just by the _thought_ of the power you'd have as king that you let it blindside you to what you were doing to everyone around you. You think you have the market cornered on family power struggles and drama and you don't. You're not so different from any of the mortals that you so look down on. And if you ask me, I'd say most of the mortals I've come across deal with their issues a lot better than you have. You leveled a city. Most people just get drunk."

"You try my patience greatly," he muttered.

"Of course I do. No one likes having a mirror thrust in their face. Your mother coddles you, your father ignores you, Thor struggles with his love for you, but I am the only one that tells you how it is. I thought it was part of the reason we got on so well. We knew where we each stood. And now, after yesterday, you changed things with your announcement. And now with this proclamation that you have feelings for me. You don't. Whatever you think you feel for me is and will always be secondary to your thirst for revenge and power. I am just a pawn in that game. I'm done dealing with guys with baggage, Loki. I've got enough of my own, thanks." She started to walk away.

"And how does it feel to know that you will always play second fiddle to Thor's adventures and defending of the throne?"

That stopped Jane in her tracks and she turned to face him, eyes narrowed.

"You'll always come second to Thor's duty, Jane. He will always do what the All-Father wants in the end. Even if meant giving you up."

Jane barked out a laugh. "Nice try, genius. You think you wouldn't do the same? If it was between me and the crown you'd throw me over in a heartbeat." Loki said nothing and Jane arched a brow. "See? So ask me again why I don't trust you when you tell me you have feelings for me. You don't."

"And where is Thor now, Jane? Instead of being with you after a long thirty days, Thor is Odin regaling him of his adventures and reporting about his travels."

Jane opened her mouth to reply, but Loki went on. "Do you have any idea how worried I was for you?" Loki asked sounding almost desperate. "How terrified I was that you wouldn't wake up?"

Jane stepped away from him when Loki took a step toward her. He kept coming, too, and Jane soon found herself backed into a wall. He leaned in, one hand on the side of her head. "I stayed beside you. I worked tirelessly to find a way to help you. I weakened myself and my powers to help you. I missed you, Jane. I missed everything about you. That kiss was the culmination of those feelings."

"Why didn't you tell me what you did when I woke up?"

"Because I wasn't convinced that it was truly my kiss that woke you and I didn't want to upset you." His eyes narrowed. "So you see, I am not as conscienceless as you think."

"Only to then turn around and tell everyone once Thor arrived."

She could see him grinding down hard on his jaw. "I was…" He shut his eyes and shook his head. "I was jealous. Jealous of how happy you were to see him. How he was the one that would know the pleasure of your embrace and sweet words…how he'd know the pleasure of your love. I was angry and I lashed out. I wanted him to hurt as I hurt."

His confession made Jane dizzy. She pressed a hand to her temple and heaved a deep sigh. She pushed away from him and he let her go. He didn't say a word when she made her way down the stairs, adrenaline giving her wings.


	7. Part VII

**Part VII**

Dinner that night was awkward. Jane hadn't wanted to attend, but Thor had insisted. He wasn't about to let Loki stop him from doing anything. Apparently this was Thor taking the "high road". As soon as Jane and Thor entered the dining hall she felt Loki's eyes on her. She refused to look at him.

"And how do you fare, Jane?" Odin asked once she and Thor had been seated.

"I fare well," Jane replied politely. "Thank you." It was on the tip of her tongue to ask if he'd bother to visit her while she'd been asleep. It was also on the tip of her tongue to ask him if he had really required Thor all day. Thor had left Asgard for her, right? Not to collect information for Odin on other Realms. The idea that he was doing a side-job for his father irked Jane. Damn Loki for putting those thoughts and doubts in her head.

She looked at Loki across from her finally and found him looking right back at her, expressionless. She sighed and sat back as her meal was served. Loki continued to stare at her until Thor placed his goblet down hard upon the table and glared at his brother.

Loki sighed and rolled his eyes.

Silence fell and Jane simply concentrated on eating. She didn't taste a bite, but she was hungry. Thor often marveled about how she could shovel food in, which she found hilarious considering how he could. She dared a glance at Loki and found him daring a glance at her as well.

This was ridiculous. She wondered if Odin was aware of the scene Loki had caused the day before. She wondered if he cared at all. If he did what would he care about – the fact that Thor could be hurt? That Loki was causing trouble? That all of this was over a "worthless mortal"? Maybe he hoped that this would result in her being banished from Asgard. She didn't see how that would happen unless she broke Thor's heart and he cast her back to Earth. She had no intention of breaking his heart thought because she didn't have feelings for Loki in that way.

Her gaze drifted across the table toward Loki. He was picking at his food, moving food around on his plate with his lips pursed as though in thought. There was no doubt that he was handsome. Very handsome. Not in the same way as Thor of course. Thor was more like the sort of guy she'd expect to meet at a beach in California carrying a surf board and strutting around as though he knew he was all that and a bag of potato chips. Which, well, was Thor now. Thor was a hero though, and as such, he would never look down on "the little person". He would also be that guy volunteering at soup kitchens and helping little old ladies across the street.

Loki would be the chain smoking hipster in a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop that had already discovered the things everyone else in the world had just discovered and was obsessed with. He'd be the sort to roll his eyes and call people "Sheople." He'd write poetry and play the lute and test people's intelligence by posing philosophical theories and seeing how well they fared discussing it with him.

However, she could also see him as some CEO making thousands of dollars a day and cutting down the little person behind him simply because he could, simply because he wanted to, and perhaps because they were a threat. He'd be like Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada". Jane almost snorted thinking how she could just imagine Loki shooing her away with a simple, "That's all."

He'd be lonely though, in either scenario, because of how he'd push people away and intimidate them. No one would know that underneath that reserved and standoffish exterior Loki was someone that needed desperately to be loved. He would never voice how badly he wanted it, needed it, and no one would guess that everything he did to keep people away was because he was so terrified of being hurt. Not to mention that he felt he wasn't worthy of love because his father was such a cold prick and –

Someone kicked at her foot under the table and Jane started. Loki looked at her expectantly and she realized that she'd been staring at him. She looked at Thor who was shoveling food in his mouth and hadn't noticed. Nor did it seem Odin had. Frigga was staring off but Jane had the funny feeling Frigga saw everything, even when people didn't think she had.

Never had Jane wanted to leave the dinner table as much as she did right now.

Jane lay in her bed that night staring at the ceiling and wondering what it said about her and Thor that for the first time since they had gotten together, the sex had been subpar. Jane rather felt he had rushed through the act and had just needed the release, not really caring to put forth too much effort.

She'd faked it. With a God. With Thor. She'd faked it with Thor, a God. How was that possible? Had Loki done that much of a number on them? Did Thor feel he didn't know her anymore after her imposed slumber? Did he wonder if she had any feeling for Loki? Why wouldn't he talk to her about it then?

"Arrrgh!" she growled softly and turned over. Thor continued on snoring beside her.

Jane shut her eyes and thought of home. Of the stars on an open sky and how she could stare at them for hours on end…

"Jane." Her eyes popped open.

"Jane."

"Loki?" she said aloud and then clamped a hand over her mouth and looked over at Thor. He rolled over and snorted in his sleep.

"Jane."

She sat up, looking in the darkness for Loki. The voice certainly sounded like him.

"Jane."

"What the hell?" she muttered and climbed out of bed. She crept across the room to the door.

"Jane."

She peered out into the hall and found a ball of light down the hall suspended in the air. No doubt about it. That was Loki all over.

She glared at the ball as she crept down the hall and when she got closer to it, it moved around the corner and bounced in front of her, just out of reach down the next hall. Then the next and then, finally, to the stairs that went up to the tower. "Are you fucking kidding me?" she muttered.

The ball of light twirled around her rapidly again and again and she laughed nervously and attempted to swat at it. But then she felt something lift her up off her feet and cradle her as though she was in a chair. She looked down and gasped as she hurtled forward gently but quickly up the stairs.

She smiled brightly, thinking how Loki was so thoughtful of her needs. When she reached the top of the stairs the ball of light gently lowered her to her feet and then moved forward over the veranda. Jane moved slowly forward, following it, and then stopped when she saw Loki standing there, smiling at her. His hand was up and open and he caught the ball in his hand. "Do you want to touch it, Jane?" he asked lowly.

She nodded, watching the light peak out between his fingers.

"Come to me then, and I'll put it in your hand."

She went to him, not even questioning what she was doing and when she stood before him, gazing up at him and his pale skin and soft smile, he took her hand and placed the ball of light in it. She had done nothing more than looked at it when Loki wrapped an arm around her waist, hauled her closer, and kissed her.


	8. Part VIII

**Part VIII**

Jane turned her head away from Loki's deep kisses and moaned, "No, Loki." The ball of light he'd placed in her hand, she'd noticed, was gone.

"Jane, look at me," Loki said huskily.

She pushed out of his arms, needing some distance between them. "Why did you do this, Loki?" she asked.

"I can feel your confusion," he whispered. "Your curiosity."

She schooled her features to give nothing away. Apparently, she had learned more than a magick trick or two from Loki. "What confusion? What curiosity?"

His smile was sardonic and Jane pushed down the desire to smack it off him. She hated it when he would smile at her like that. That was the same smile he used when he was plotting against Thor, against Odin, and whomever else he deemed to have crossed him. It was that smile he used to keep people at a distance, to make fun of them, and to show them just how much smarter he was then them – even when he was completely and utterly in the wrong.

"And they call me the God of Lies," he drawled. "What is the saying you mortals have? Don't kid a kidder. You were staring at me all through dinner until I tapped your foot."

"I was thinking about what you'd be like if you were mortal and lived on Earth," she said and lifted her chin haughtily. "Mr. I-think-I-know-it-all."

He barked out a laugh and she glared at him.

"You came to me when I called," he said. "Why did you do that? Surely you knew that it was I who was guiding you. Did you think I called you here to teach you a few magick tricks? Let you hold a ball of light in your hand? You wanted to see me."

Jane was dismayed to realize that he was right. She'd felt on edge ever since she'd left Loki earlier that day. Dinner had been awkward, sex with Thor had been disappointing and…lacking. She'd been trying to resist thinking of Loki but to no avail. He'd called for her and she'd come, followed after him like some giddy schoolgirl. This would not do. "I had mated with Thor tonight," she blurted out.

His smile fell and his gaze darkened, his face became a veritable storm cloud of anger. "What?"

"You heard me," she said, refusing to back down from him. "He's my fiancé, Loki. I'm going to marry him. It's what people who are together, in a committed and solid relationship do."

"You've yet to say you did it because you love him."

"I figured that was implied."

"And yet you came to me nonetheless. Did he not leave you satisfied?"

Jane made the mistake of wincing at that. Loki smiled again and she shot him a withering look.

"Well, well, well. Seems my brother is lacking—"

"He's not lacking. It's just been…a long time." Even that sounded weak to Jane's ears and she knew Loki wasn't buying it for a second.

"The fact that it was my kiss that woke you must be really grating on him."

Her eyes narrowed. "You're not even sure it was that, that ultimately woke me."

"What if it was? Do you wonder what that must mean?"

She folded her arms across her chest. "You're the one who holds magick so dear. You tell me."

They stared at each other for a beat and then Loki leaned back against the stone railing, leaning one elbow upon it and looking at her. "Tell me – what does it mean to you to be in a 'solid and committed relationship'?"

"It means that I stay by Thor's side no matter what. That we take care of each other and support each other—"

"Much like he did today when he spent the day with the All Father instead of being by your side to make sure you were all right? I spent every day by your side while you were sleeping."

"Loki—"

He moved away from the railing and leaned in close. "If I was Thor, I wouldn't have left your side. After being away from you for thirty days? Nothing could have kept me from being with you every moment of the day to make sure you were well."

"You don't have the same duties as he does," she pointed out angrily. "He's in line for the throne, you're not."

She didn't want to dwell on the fact that she had felt neglected by Thor all day. Had the tables been turned she would not have wanted to leave his side either. It hurt to have Loki point out how Thor had hurt her already and so she wanted to hurt him right back.

It'd worked. Perhaps too well. He charged toward her, but she stood her ground, refusing to let him scare her.

"You don't like it when someone puts up a mirror to your face either, do you?" he hissed.

"You're lucky I don't squash you like a bug for your impertinence, Jane Foster. Who do you think you are to speak to me like that?"

"I don't care who you are, or what you are. I don't care if you can squash me like an ant under your boots." She poked him hard in the chest. "_You're_ the one who is causing mischief and using me to hurt your brother. It's not me you care for, Loki, it's your twisted vengeance—"

"Don't presume to know what is in my heart!" he shouted at her. "And stop pretending that you feel nothing more for me than gratitude and kindness. _I'm_ the one you came to when the All Father hurt your feelings and Thor wouldn't defend you. _I'm_ the one you came to when you felt alone here and Thor, again, was nowhere to be found. You're confused, Lady Jane, because you know you shouldn't feel anything for me. I'm the monster in the family, the evil adopted son that no one wants and no one can love—"

Jane could hear no more of this. She reached up and all but slapped a hand over his mouth. "Stop it! I hate it when you do this. You put words and feelings onto others and none of it is true, Loki. You think you're unloved but you're not. You think you're so evil and wrong and so you set out to be – purposefully – in some sick self-fulfilling prophecy. I do care for you, Loki. I care a lot. I admit it, okay? I'm curious. I'm curious why your kiss woke me. I'm curious as to why you're the only one I can talk to here. I can't feel anything for you, Loki, and _not_ because you're a Frost Giant, and _not_ because of the terrible things you've done, but because I believe in fidelity and I'm betrothed to someone else!" She heaved in a deep breath and shook her head slowly. "On Earth we have fairy tales about this sort of thing. About true love's kiss waking a maiden from a deep sleep. Maybe if Thor had kissed me—"

"He did," Loki said softly. "He did kiss you. Before he left."

Jane shrank back. "Oh."

"He didn't tell you?"

"No," she said and sank down to the floor wondering what that meant – what it _all_ meant.

"Tell me about these fairy tales, Jane," Loki said as he sat down across from her. "About kisses that wake maidens from their sleep."

"No," she shook her head. "I've already said too much. It was a fluke, Loki, and it's made us think things that aren't true and aren't there."

"So you didn't feel the passion between us when I kissed you? You kissed me back."

"It was a mistake, Loki." Jane heard the pleading in her voice. She wasn't just telling him it was a mistake; she was begging him to agree with her.

"So then what do you propose, hmm? We stay away from each other? We pretend that I never woke you with my kiss, that we haven't shared two since?"

"Yes," she said firmly. "I think it best we put it all behind us."

Loki's expression was unreadable as he lifted his hand, looked directly in her eyes, and said, "Very well then." He snapped his fingers.

Jane found herself back in bed, laying on her back and staring up at the ceiling. She blinked. Had that all been a dream? No, it couldn't have been.

She could still feel Loki's lips upon hers.


	9. Part IX

**Part IX**

Three days.

That was how long it had been since Jane had seen Loki. It seemed after their chat high up in the tower, Loki had taken off to realms unknown. Odin had not been pleased. Frigga and Thor were worried, and Jane could admit that she was, too. Loki's temper was explosive. If he was angry with her she feared what he'd do as recompense.

Another reason why the two of them would never work _if_ she had feelings for Loki like that – of which she did not. How could she be with someone she didn't trust? The thing was that up until Loki had announced that it was his kiss that woke her, Jane had trusted Loki. Albeit stupidly. How did one trust someone that constantly lied? That leveled a city and attempted murder on his brother just to keep Thor away from Asgard? He lied, he manipulated, he played tricks, and yet for some stupid reason that belied all logical reasoning, Jane had trusted him not to lie to _her_.

Now she wasn't entirely sure. Nothing was as it seemed before she'd fallen into that damn sleep. Everything felt turned over on its end when she so desperately just wanted things to go back as they were. There was order in how things were: Thor loved her, she loved Thor, Loki was her friend, and though she could admit now that things were lacking in her life on Asgard, she wasn't wholly unhappy.

Now though, now she felt…restless.

She missed Loki. She missed him and she felt ashamed of herself for missing him. She wasn't supposed to miss him this way, but she did. People were so fond of telling her that one couldn't control how they felt even though she often felt that one could if they applied themselves to the task. It was how she'd gotten over many a boyfriend.

"How are you feeling, my dear?"

Jane straightened from the railing she was leaning on that overlooked Asgard and smiled at Frigga as the Goddess approached. "I'm okay. My muscles are getting stronger every day."

"I see you walking about every day. You are one determined young lady."

"I'm not one to be idle for long….sleeping for thirty days straight notwithstanding."

Frigga smiled and patted Jane's arm. "It is a beautiful day today to be out."

Jane nodded in agreement and the two women fell into silence as they looked out on Asgard.

"Any word on Loki's whereabouts?" Jane asked after a long moment.

Frigga's smile fell and she sighed and shook her head. "No. I worry for him."

"Me too," Jane said without thinking about it.

Frigga looked at Jane out of the corner of her eye. "Do you?"

Jane felt heat rise to her cheeks and she refused to look at Frigga as she answered, "I do. I hope he is well. I know Thor worries, too."

"Had Loki mentioned wanting to go anywhere to you?"

Jane blinked and looked at her future mother-in-law. "No, wh—why would he tell me anything?"

"I suppose because out of everyone here, the one he appears to feel most comfortable with is you."

Frigga said it casually, not accusatory at all, but that didn't stop Jane's heart from beating furiously in her chest. Did Frigga know about the conversations she and Loki had had post sleep? Did she know of Loki's supposed feelings for Jane? Did she think that Jane was perhaps straying from Thor? Did she suspect that Jane was missing Loki? If she did know, then did she think it was because Jane had feelings for Loki?

Because she didn't.

Not like that.

Nope.

"He didn't tell me anything," Jane said finally.

Frigga sighed. "Then we are back to where we started."

Jane nodded and with one last pat to her hand, Frigga turned to take her leave just as Thor came upon them. "Loki's come back. He's in the hall with father."

Frigga hurried her steps in the direction of the hall and Jane lifted her voluminous skirts to follow them. Man, what she wouldn't give for a pair of jeans.

"You traveled," Jane heard Odin say when she, Thor and Frigga entered the hall. "What does that mean? Where did you go?" Odin sounded pissed. And he was glaring down with his good eye upon Loki from his throne.

Loki shrugged. "Around."

Odin looked about ready to fling himself off the throne at Loki. Loki's gaze skirted to Thor, then Frigga, and then landed on Jane. Jane was struck with the desire to hug him. Just hug him. Loki needed that, not an interrogation. How the fuck did Odin get to be King of Asgard without figuring out that the more he pushed Loki, the more Loki became passive-aggressive?

"Should I be expecting a war soon?" Odin asked. "A plot against the throne?"

Loki chuckled. "Always thinking the best of me I see. When Thor takes himself off no one worries a war will soon follow."

And why didn't Loki understand that his actions had led to this suspicion and mistrust of him? Now Jane wanted to smack him. And then hug him.

"Go, I'm done trying to get answers from a brick wall," Odin said with a wave of his hand.

Loki bowed – and if there was a way to do bow sarcastically, then that was exactly what he did. And if anyone had been paying attention – and she had been – they would have seen the hurt that passed over his features before he did what he did best: masked them.

He walked by her without so much as a glance and Jane wanted more than anything to reach out and grab him. Tell him to stop being such an asshole all the time, to stop pushing buttons and being so fucking passive-aggressive.

And then, hug him.

Odin began talking about beefing up security for Asgard on the off chance that Loki had brought trouble back with him and while Jane understood where he was coming from, she also thought that doing something like that wouldn't help matters with Loki. It would just make things worse.

"Maybe we could send the other Nine Realms a fruit basket," Jane quipped. Frigga, Thor and Odin just stared at her.

"Leave us, please, Jane Foster. This does not concern you," Odin said.

"She will one day be Queen, father," Thor said.

"But she's not one yet. Leave us."

Jane wanted to kick Odin in the shins.

"Father," Thor began, a hard edge to his voice.

"No, it's fine," Jane said. "I'll go." She turned and left, tamping down the urge to flip the All-Father off.

What Jane wanted to do was find Loki. What she ended up doing was going to her chambers. She closed the door behind her and pressed her back against it, trying to fight back tears. She didn't even know why she felt like crying? Odin's dismissal of her was nothing new. Thor attempting to defend her and then backing down and letting his father have his way wasn't new either. It had just never bothered her quite as much as it was now. Was this to be her life when she wedded Thor? Would she constantly be relegated to the background? Would she have no voice? No say in how things were run? She wasn't a stupid woman, she was smart, dammit, and she had learned a thing or two about government from her time on Earth – mostly from Darcy. She even knew a few things about monarchies from, you know, history. And England.

Jane looked across her room and her eyes landed on a thick golden tome upon her pillow. Her brows furrowed and she marched over to her bed. She hadn't left a book on her pillow, especially not this tome. It was beautiful with intricate carvings and – she froze when she saw the engraved title: Fairy Tales.

So, that was what Loki had been up to. He'd been searching for those fairy tales she'd told him about. Of course!

And, he'd been so kind as to bookmark a couple pages for her. The first bookmark was for "Snow White" and then the second was "Sleeping Beauty".

She sighed heavily. So did Loki believe that "True Love's Kiss" had woken her up? Or was he doing what he did best and planting doubts? She shut the book and moved it into a drawer in her nightstand. Well, she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeking him out and asking him what this was all about. Even if she wanted to. Really, really, _really_ wanted to.


	10. Chapter 10

**Part X**

Dinner that night was another stilted, nearly suffocating affair. Loki looked at her unashamedly and this time, Jane looked directly at him and tilted her head forward in acknowledgment. He sat back and arched a brow and she rolled her eyes and looked away from him.

Odin was tense – though he seemed to be always tense in Jane's opinion— Frigga was trying to keep the peace, and Thor was quiet. Homesickness engulfed her. She longed to be sitting at the rinky dink table in her trailer and eating Kentucky Fried Chicken takeout with Erik and Darcy. She longed to hear the blare of the TV behind her as Darcy tried to find something trashy to watch.

She missed her music and her work and her friends. She missed Earth period. Before she knew it, her eyes had welled up in tears and she discreetly wiped at them so as to not draw attention to herself.

When she lifted her gaze she found Loki looking right at her with a frown. Of course he'd seen. He saw everything. For some reason this made her feel even worse and she leaned over to Thor to tell him she wasn't feeling well and was going to get some air.

"You're not tired are you?" he asked worriedly.

"No, honey, I'm fine," Jane said and placed a hand on his arm. His worry was touching, she couldn't deny that. She didn't want to worry because he was having a moment. "I promise I am not going to lie down. I'm just going to get some air."

"I'm coming with you," Thor said and made to get up.

"No, no. Thor, I want to be alone for a little while."

He looked even more worried.

"I promise I'm fine," she said.

"Thor, let Jane go," Frigga interjected. "Give the girl a moment alone."

Thor relaxed under his mother's direction and sat back down. He looked up at her. "If you feel ill; if something goes wrong—"

"I'll make a raucous," she promised.

Thor nodded and let her go. Jane walked out of the dining hall feeling both Thor's and Loki's eyes on her. She could just imagine what a nuisance Odin thought her now.

Jane got as far as she could get from the castle and found herself on a small beach on the outskirts of the village of Asgard. She just needed some breathing room, some sense of normalcy that was away from the watchful eye of Odin and even Frigga. What was she thinking? Could she actually marry Thor and spend her days as Queen of Asgard, never to see her friends, never to be on Earth again?

She wiped furiously at the tears that fell from her eyes and tried to stop the sob that was right there, ready to let go. And then she felt strong arms wrap around her from behind and she was pulled against a rock solid chest.

Loki. She knew it was Loki. And though she knew she should not be seeking comfort in his arms, the sob let loose and she broke down in his arms.

He stroked her hair, a solid and comforting presence behind her. "Jane," he murmured gently. "My Jane."

"I'm n—not y-your Jane."

He chuckled softly. "Yes you are. You're more my Jane than you realize."

She wiped at her eyes and spared him a glance over her shoulder. "What does that even mean?"

He didn't answer her question, just continued to hold her, pressing his face into the back of her head and inhaling her scent. "What troubles you, darling?"

"I miss home," she admitted. "I miss Erik and Darcy. I miss Earth and music and my work. I know Earth seems like nothing to you, but it's home to me. And right now I miss it more than anything."

She felt him stiffen. "You want to leave Asgard?"

Somehow she knew the real question was whether or not she wanted to leave _him_.

"Yes. Maybe. I don't know. I want to see my friends. I want…normalcy. Nothing feels normal to me here. Normal is working in my lab and telling Darcy what to do over and over because she's clueless. Normal is eating late at night after working all day…food somehow tastes better at night. I hate sitting at that table, Loki. I can practically _feel_ Odin's disapproval seeping into me."

"You get used to it."

She snorted. "I'll end up like you. Just doing things to annoy him."

Loki chuckled. "It's not so bad."

"I don't want to be like that, though. You're not happy, Loki. You just stew in your anger…that's not healthy. It will eat you alive one day."

"And what of you and how you feel right now? Is that how you feel about Thor? If you're unsure and you marry him feeling as you do, then one day you will resent him and become the thing you fear most: me."

"Don't twist my words," she told him sternly. "I don't fear you. You think that this is all you are: the liar, the troublemaker, the denied King. You're not. Once you realize that, you'll be a lot happier than you are."

A moment of contemplative silence fell and then Loki said quietly, thoughtfully, "I feel like I'm more than the liar, the troublemaker and the denied King when I'm with you. With you I feel that maybe I am more than what they think of me…than what I have allowed myself to become."

Jane turned in his arms to face him. "What more do you feel you are?"

He moved some hair from her face and tucked it behind her ears. "I feel…like I have a purpose. I feel like a teacher, a friend…that perhaps I can do more than _cause_ trouble, but help _fix_ the trouble that's been made."

She smiled gently. "I see that in you, Loki. You're so much more than the corner you've painted yourself into. Odin wants to put you in a box and label you, and you've let him. But you don't fit in that box, Loki."

He chuckled, looking almost emotional. "Maybe that's why I feel so cramped."

"Yes. Maybe if you showed him the more that you are—"

"And what of you, hmmm?"

"It's not the same for me. Don't change the subject."

He smiled and brushed his fingers across her cheek. He pulled her closer and pressed his forehead to hers. His eyes shut tight. "Jane," he breathed.

She sighed, gripping the fabric of his tunic tightly. "I missed you," she whispered.

A strangled moan escaped him and then his lips were on hers, stealing her breath and everything else away. He hauled her onto his lap and held her tightly against him, his fingers in her hair.

Jane allowed herself to get caught up in the passion of their embrace, but soon the fact that she was an engaged woman brought reason back into her fogged mind and she pushed at his shoulders and turned her head to the side. "Loki. I can't."

"Yes, you can. You feel it, too, Jane," Loki said, his breath hot against her face. "I know you do. I can give you what you want. I can make you free. I'll take you home to your Earth. We'll travel together, see all that your heart desires. You wouldn't be constrained, Jane, I'd make sure you never felt as if you were being shoved into a box."

"Loki," she whispered and ducked her head, still gripping his tunic.

"Jane, I love you. I _love_ you. It was my kiss that woke you. True love's kiss. You saw the book?"

She looked up at him, feeling as though everything around her was crumbling into the vast waters that surrounded Asgard. She searched his face for some hint that he was lying to her, playing with her – ignoring the fact that in doing so she was shoving him in that same box as Odin did.

"You believe in those fairy tales?"

"I went to your Earth. I went to other realms. Stories such as those exist in all the realms. I found story upon story – different versions, some darker than others, but I found them all."

"They're just stories, Loki. You can't believe in them—"

"I believe in you, and I believe in me. I believe in _us_. I kissed you and you awoke, Jane. Thor kissed you and you didn't – there was a reason for that. For all of this."

"You don't believe in fate, Loki."

"Maybe I do," he said softly. "If I can believe that I'm more than what they think of me, more than what I've made myself to be, then why can't I believe that you awoke because of me – because of us and who we are together."

"Loki, stop," Jane said and scrambled off his lap. "I'm engaged to your brother—"

"I don't care!" he shouted and jumped to his feet. There were tears in his eyes and it broke Jane's heart. The last thing in all the nine realms she wanted to do was hurt Loki. He'd been hurt by so many already.

This time, instead of Jane being the one to run off, it was Loki. He stormed off, clearly angry and clearly upset and all Jane could do was stand there and feel like the worst person in the nine realms.


	11. Part XI

**Part XI**

When Jane returned to her bedchambers Thor was waiting for her. He looked both worried and melancholy and Jane knew they were about to have a serious talk. She wasn't quite sure she was ready for this after what had just happened between her and Loki. Quite honestly she felt a bit drained. She was worried about Loki and she was so confused about what she wanted…_who_ she wanted, and where she belonged.

She wanted to think; she _needed_ to think.

"Do you feel better?" Thor asked quietly as Jane closed her door.

"If I'm being honest? No."

"Jane, you and I…we haven't really…connected since you've awakened."

Jane swallowed hard. "No, we haven't."

"Things have been strained."

"Yes."

"I want to blame Loki."

Jane bit her lip. "Because of what he said about kissing me?"

Thor sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "What do you think about it? Do you think it was his kiss that woke you?"

Jane sat down beside him on the bed and folded her hands together on her lap. "You're asking me to understand how it is I fell asleep in the first place and didn't wake up for a month. It's asking me to believe in magick and spells and—"

"Jane, you've been here long enough to witness such things. The very fact that you're here, on Asgard, pushes the limits of what you previously believed in. Yet here you are. Do you or do you not believe Loki's kiss was what woke you?"

She sighed. "I don't know."

"And what does it mean to you if it was his kiss and not mine? Because I did kiss you before I left. And asleep you stayed."

"I don't know what it means."

"Jane—"

"Thor, I'm being honest. I just don't know. All I know is that things have changed between us and I'm not sure if it's because I was asleep for a month and you were off to find out what happened to me, or if it was all because of what Loki did. What do _you_ think?"

Thor stared down at his hands and after a moment's deliberation, finally spoke. "I think that you and Loki formed a bond when you came here. You have been able to reach him in ways none of us could – not even Mother. I believe he's grown to love you. It's something I never thought would happen to Loki, and not because he is unlovable but because I never thought he'd allow himself to let go that much with another. Falling in love with someone gives someone else a bit of power over you. It makes you vulnerable. Loki despises those things."

Jane sucked in a breath and nodded slowly. "Do you think he kissed me? Or do you think he lied?"

"He kissed you." Thor sighed. "And you woke up."

"What do you think it means?"

"Depends on the moment. One moment I believe it means nothing – that it was a happenstance that means absolutely nothing. Other times I believe that it was because of the connection that you two formed that his kiss woke you."

"The bond that he and I…"

He looked at her briefly. "Do you deny that you've formed a bond with Loki as well?"

Jane looked down at her hands. "No."

"Do you care for him, Jane?"

Tears pricked Jane's eyes. "Yes."

"Do you love him?"

"No." But as soon as she said it, something inside her rebelled and it left her feeling unsettled, not quite right.

"Perhaps what we need to do is try, Jane. I admit that we've not had much occasion to talk since I returned and I apologize for that. What do you say you and I spend time together tomorrow? Just us. We can talk, take a long walk, and just be together."

"Reconnect," Jane said softly.

"Yes. What say you to that?"

"I think that sounds like a wonderful idea."

Thor didn't give her just one day of just them. He gave her two. They walked along the sea of Asgard, they shopped in town – or rather, Jane did. They talked about nothing in particular, not even about Loki's kiss. Jane felt they rather should have talked about that, but perhaps their little chat in her bedchamber had sufficed. At least for Thor.

For Jane, it was a different story.

She held secrets from Thor. Secrets about what had transpired between her and Loki. And she kept secrets from herself – such as how she felt about Loki. She worried about what he was thinking and feeling and she wondered what it said about her true feelings that Loki was never far from her mind.

On the third day when Thor was summoned by Odin, Jane stayed in her bedchamber hoping to fly under the radar. The time alone would be good. She could use it to sort a few things out. Her courtship with Thor had been such a whirlwind that in a lot of ways she still felt as though she was catching up. Her confusion could just be stemming from the sheer fact that she was feeling a tad overwhelmed.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself and her thoughts, Jane lay back on her bed and closed her eyes. She counted backwards from ten to one the way Darcy had taught her once and she felt her body relax.

Then she heard the door open and shut and she opened her eyes and looked toward the door. Thor was back. She attempted a smile. "That didn't take long."

He shrugged and came over to her. She started to get up, but he held up a hand. "No, please. Don't get up," he said and climbed on the bed and lay next to her. "Are you feeling unwell?" he asked and ran a hand through her hair.

"No, I'm fine. Just taking a breather. Everything okay?"

Thor nodded and cupped the side of her face in his strong and warm palm. He leaned in and Jane closed her eyes in anticipation of his kiss.

When he broke the kiss she looked up at him with a soft smile and he grinned. "You don't kiss Thor the way you kiss me."

"What—"

In a flash of green and gold, Loki appeared before her and her jaw dropped. It took her a moment to catch up to what had just happened and when she did, she smacked Loki across the face and scrambled out of the bed. "Not okay, Loki! Jesus, what were you thinking?"

"What are those things you scientists do all the time?" He snapped his fingers and pointed at her. "An experiment. I was doing an experiment."

"That was manipulation. That was trickery. That was wrong, Loki!"

He leapt off the bed with the grace of a cat. And then prowled after her like one. Jane backed away from him as he came closer. "I wanted to see how you respond to him compared to how you respond to me."

"That still doesn't—"

"You hold back with him. With me, you let the passion inside you out."

She turned just before her back hit the wall and somehow managed to stumble over her long skirts. Loki caught her before she fell on her face and pulled her back against him. She felt herself melt into him and it scared her. She tried to push out of his arms but Loki wouldn't let her. He held her fast and firm against him and she stopped trying – not that she had tried so hard to begin with. She closed her eyes and heaved a deep breath. She nearly stopped breathing though when she felt Loki nibble at her neck.

"Loki," she whispered and found herself tilting her head to the side to grant him further access.

"Mmmmm….that's my Jane," he purred in her ear as he placed his hand over her belly possessively. "Have you missed me, love?"

"This isn't right," she said softly and then moaned when Loki's hand drifted to one breast.

That snapped her out of the spell he'd woven around her and she pushed out of his arms. "Loki, no." She ran a hand through her hair. "What the hell am I doing? I'm making out with my brother-in-law in my bedroom."

"I'm not your brother-in-law yet," Loki growled.

"Semantics."

"How have the past couple days been?" he asked, his eyes piercing right through her.

She placed her hands on her hips. "They've been wonderful."

He laughed. _Laughed_. "Have they? Is that why you melted in my arms just now – because it's been wonderful? Because you're devoted to Thor and don't have feelings for me at all?"

"We're trying to get back to where we were—"

"Is it working?"

"Loki—"

"Is it?"

"_Stop_ it!"

"IS IT?!"

"NO!" she nearly screamed and then clamped a hand over her mouth.

Loki looked triumphant and all-knowing while Jane just felt awful. He didn't get it. He didn't understand how she could not be responsible for breaking up his and Thor's already tenuous relationship. How she couldn't rip this family apart because she had –what – turned into some kind of slut with the Odinson brothers? If Odin didn't already hate her for being engaged to Thor how would he feel if she broke off her engagement to be with Loki – the adopted son that he didn't trust and acted as though he really just tolerated? And what of Frigga? She wanted so badly for her sons to get along and for the family to be one solid unit. How would she feel knowing that Jane had single-handedly turned brother against brother?

She cared about Loki and Thor – and even Frigga – too much to do this to them. What she had to do was simple.

Return home. Return to Earth.


	12. Part XII

**Part XII**

"What are you thinking?" Loki asked. Of course he'd noticed the shift in her. He picked up on everything. His eyes narrowed. "Jane, tell me what you're thinking."

Jane felt a calmness settle over her now that she knew exactly what she needed – and would – do. "Loki, have you considered at all what it would do to your family if you and I were to even attempt…whatever it is you're suggesting. Let's define that for a minute, shall we? Are you wanting to engage in an affair? All clandestine and behind your brother's back?"

"No. What I want is for you to be mine. Out in the open."

"Here, on Asgard?"

Loki sighed and shook his head. "Not necessarily. I realize the problems our being together would cause…"

"Do you, Loki? Do you really? Do you realize how our being together would hurt so many – your mother, Thor, possibly even your father. Although your father would be more pissed off about it than anything else, but it wouldn't do you any favors while you're trying – and I use that term loosely – to get back in his good graces. He'd hate me more than he already does—"

"Do you think I care one whit about what the All-Father thinks?" Loki asked angrily. "I do not. Nothing I ever do will be enough, Jane. It's a nice sentiment that one day he just might forgive me and accept me as I am, but it's not realistic. Nor is it something I care for."

"Okay, let's pretend for a minute that I believe that – what of your mother? I know you love her. I know you don't want to upset her. How do you think she'll feel knowing you and I would be hurting Thor?"

"Jane—"

"Just shut up and let me finish."

The look he gave her would have made a less courageous person/being cower in fear. Jane, however, didn't care. Loki didn't scare her and plus, at this point she had really nothing to lose.

"I know you'll say you don't care about your brother, Loki, but that is a lie as well and if you were completely honest with yourself for once you would see that. You do love your brother. And you love your mother. You may enjoy playing the villain, but you would never be truly happy if you irrevocably hurt them. Underneath all that resentment you wear like your armor, you know that. Circling back round to your father – you're like the child that's discovered if he can't get attention the good way, then you might as well get it the bad way by acting up. You could one day resent me because I'd be the one you gave up your family for. The one you knowingly hurt your father, brother and mother for. You may not believe me, Loki, but I care for you too much to give you another way to self-destruct."

"And so what is it you plan to do then, Jane?" Loki demanded. "Marry my brother even though you don't love him and love me instead? Marry him and make me resent you anyway. Then you'll resent him and leave us all in shreds."

"No, I'm not going to marry your brother. I'm going to do the right thing. I'm going home."

Loki stepped forward. "No, Jane." He looked frantic, worried. "You can't leave me here. You can't leave me alone."

"You're not alone, Loki. Don't you get it? If you'd just try—"

"Ah. So after all, you are just like the rest of them," Loki snarled. "You know nothing, Jane Foster."

"Oh, and you know everything? What has it gotten you, Loki?"

Looking as though he was about to blow, Loki took a step toward her and she arched a brow up at him and folded her arms across her chest. Challenging him. Finally, in a flurry of green, Loki stormed out of her bedchamber without a word.

Jane heaved a deep, shaky breath, refusing to cry. Now she just had to wait for Thor to return so she could tell him her news.

Loki cloaked himself into invisibility because the last thing he wanted to do was speak to anyone. He just wanted to be left alone. If he ran into his mother she would want to know what had upset him so and he wasn't in the mood for it. She would know anyway, so hiding it would be an impossibility and he didn't want the scene that would ensue.

His heart was breaking. It hurt enough to make him feel as though something was seriously wrong with him physically, and he didn't even want to acknowledge the tears that stung his eyes. He stopped in the middle of the hall that led to his chambers and put one hand on the pillar beside him.

Jane was leaving Asgard. Jane was leaving _him_. If she loved him at all she wouldn't be able to do this. So, then, perhaps she didn't love him after all.

It felt like the story of his life.

"Sif, I don't know what it is that you want from me," Loki heard Thor hiss.

Loki straightened, straining to hear more. What was this?

"I want you to admit that you don't love Jane anymore as you say you do. You love me, Thor. We kissed. Three times. I know you made promises to her, but you can't deny what happened between us while we were gone from here," Sif said. She sounded hurt and angry, betrayed even. All the things that Loki currently felt.

Hope began to bloom in place of his hurt, however. Things began to fall into place in Loki's mind. The feeling of guilt he'd picked up from Thor when he'd contacted him to come home. The distance he'd observed between Thor and Jane that at the time he'd thought had all come from his revelation of having kissed her awake. But no, his dear brother had secrets of his own.

"I'm marrying Jane, Sif. That is the end of the story." Thor sounded resolute, but Loki knew him well enough to hear the lace of doubt in his voice. He wasn't sure.

_This was possibly not what Thor really wanted. _

"You lie to me, you lie to yourself, and you lie to your precious Jane," Sif hissed and stormed off.

Loki waited until Sif was out of sight to take off his invisibility spell. He rounded the column and found Thor leaning against a column, his head in one oversized hand.

"Well, well, well… now that explains quite a bit," Loki said.

Thor started and looked at Loki, his eyes widening. "Loki—"

"If you're wondering how much I heard of that touching scene, then allow me to assure that I heard everything," Loki said and folded his arms across his chest. "Seems my perfect older brother isn't so perfect after all. Now I know why I felt guilt rolling off of you when I called you home. Care to explain to me exactly what's going on between you and Sif?"

"No," Thor said, his eyes narrowing. "It's none of your business, Loki."

"Seeing as how this involves Jane, I'm making it my business."

Thor emitted a short bitter laugh. "So, you're what now, Loki? Jane's savior? Her hero? Protector?"

"Yes."

Thor straightened and looked at him. "You love her."

"Yes." What was the use in lying? He stood to lose nothing at this point. "The question is – do you?"


	13. Part XIII

**Part XIII**

"I'm not telling you anything, Loki," Thor growled and took a step forward, his look menacing. If Mjolnir was in his hand Loki had no doubt that Thor would have used it on him. Not that he cared how angry his brother got with him. All Loki cared about in that moment was that Jane was planning on leaving Asgard and if there was a way to fix things so that she would stay then Loki wanted to find that way.

Loki didn't move; he wasn't afraid of Thor. "Have you told Jane? Whatever passed between you and Sif, do you plan on keeping Jane in the dark or do you plan to enlighten her?"

"There is nothing to tell her—"

"I beg to differ."

Thor cocked his head to the side, jaw clenched tight. "You don't love her. Not really, not truly. You love only one person, Loki, and that's yourself. You also love vengeance and power and anything that has to do with hurting myself and Father. Possibly even Mother. You would hurt others to harm us, innocent ones like Jane, all to get back at us for your imagined slights. I won't let you use her as a pawn in your revenge."

Loki let out what could only be described as a battle cry and shoved Thor against a nearby pillar. He pinned his brother there with his hand and leaned in close. "Hear me, brother," his hissed angrily. "I will not let you hurt Jane. I don't give a whit what you think of me, what Father thinks of me – what _any _of you think of me. I only care about Jane. If you hurt her I will seek revenge all right. I will seek it for _her_."

Loki released Thor and stepped back, shaking with rage. He wanted to tell Thor about how she was planning on leaving, but it was not his news to tell. For once, Loki didn't want to cause trouble, he wanted to fix the trouble that had already been caused. The sleeping spell she'd been under had caused a chain of events that had resulted in where they were now: Jane leaving and Loki feeling as though his heart was being ripped from his chest. His pursuit of her had most likely not helped, but he was paying for it now. The least he could do was ensure that Jane had all the facts before she returned to Earth feeling as though she had ruined the Odinson family.

He held out some hope that maybe then she would stay. And choose him. Choose _them_.

Thor said nothing, just stared at his brother in a bit of awe. Loki stormed off, hands clenched into fists. How he wished he could beat someone or something to a bloody pulp right about then.

Jane stood from where she'd been sitting on her bed and faced Thor when he walked inside and shut the door behind him. He looked at the bag on her bed that really didn't hold much since she didn't have much of her own here on Asgard. She felt as though she should have more, but most of what she was taking back with her was a different kind of baggage.

Thor's brow furrowed and he pointed to her bag. "What is happening?"

"I'm leaving."

Thor just stood there for a long while looking at her. Then, finally, "Did you speak with Loki?"

She frowned. "Earlier, yes."

"Jane, I can explain," Thor said and strode towards her. He looked contrite. Sad. "What happened between Sif and I was nothing. It meant nothing."

Jane blinked as his words rolled around in her head. "I'm sorry, what?"

Thor stared at her. "What?"

"You and Sif did what?"

"Loki didn't tell you?"

"How did Loki know?"

Thor ran a hand through his hair. "He overheard Sif and I talking earlier. He confronted me about it. I thought with your saying you're leaving and having talked to Loki earlier that he'd rushed to tell you."

"Rushed to tell me something that you should have told me?" Jane snapped and then shook her head. "Not that I'm much better," she muttered. "I have no right to be so angry with you. I mean, I am, but it's hypocritical at this point."

"Jane?" Poor Thor. He looked so confused.

Jane sighed. "I think it's time we had a nice long chat. Don't you?"

Thor nodded, looking somber. "Yes."

Jane and Thor talked for a while – Thor even skipped dinner so that they could keep their much needed conversation going. Jane was impressed. And where was this "defiance" before when it'd counted?

She didn't like to think that he was relieved that they were over, because truly that was not how she felt. At one time she had loved Thor. Very much so. But things had changed and if Jane was honest with herself – and Thor – things had begun to change the more she spent time with Loki. Somewhere along the way she had come to seek Loki's company and comfort more than she had sought Thor's. When she looked back on the time before the sleeping spell or whatever the hell it was, she remembered meals in which she and Loki would exchange looks during dinner, sometimes making one another laugh on purpose.

She hadn't even realized the routine they had fallen into. 1. Appearance at breakfast. 2. A walk with Thor. 3. While Thor went to tend to courtly matters with Odin, Jane went in search of Loki. She would then proceed to spend the day with Loki sometimes talking, most times learning, or sometimes just in silence. Then they would part until dinner and the next day it would start all over again. She had spent more time with Loki than Thor since her arrival on Asgard.

It would have been easy to blame Odin for his dislike of her, for Thor always being gone and she being bored – she could find someone to blame for how it had all happened, but the truth of the matter was Jane had fallen for Loki.

And, even if he hadn't realized it yet, Thor had fallen for Sif.

Surprisingly, Thor wasn't as angry as she thought he would be to learn of the kisses she and Loki had shared. Of the feelings she had admitted to. Jane figured that was because he was beginning to understand what he truly did feel for Sif and saw now that he could be free to explore that.

He surprised again by saying softly, "I knew."

"Knew what?"

"That something was happening. Not…consciously, but I noticed the changes you brought out in Loki and I was surprised, to say the least, of how you and he got on so well. I thought you'd hate him after all that he'd done."

Jane sighed. "I did for a while, but I guess I just…I saw something broken in him. And, after having to deal with your father, I understood Loki better. Your brother is a giant pain in the ass, yes, but he is not without heart. I think with Loki the 'problem' is that he feels too much. He takes everything to heart and when his feelings are hurt he lashes out in counter-productive ways. Killing people, you know – never a good choice." She laughed a little at her joke and Thor did as well.

"You have come to understand him in ways that I have tried and failed," Thor said.

"You understand him just as well, Thor," she told him. "You just lose your patience with him. Not to say that I don't, but you're just not the one that he will allow to get through to him."

"But he allows you to."

"I don't know if he _allows_ me to, and I don't know that I always do, but having spent so much time on Earth and here feeling like an outcast, I think we see in each other a kindred spirit."

Thor looked down at his hands. "You love him and yet you plan to leave."

"I think it's for the best right now," Jane said softly. "I miss home and with us breaking up…you have things to sort out with Sif… _and_ Loki. I have things to sort out on my own…It would be terrible of me to jump from one brother to the next and I just can't do it. I think we all need to heal from all of this no matter whom we love or don't." She let out a sigh. "Break-ups are never easy, even when amicable."

"That's the truth," he muttered. "I think you, Jane Foster, are very wise."

Jane smiled. "Thanks. I did love you, Thor. I really, really did."

"Aye, and I loved you as well."

Whatever the spell was it had changed things for all of them. They might not know how it happened or why, but Jane couldn't help but wonder how things would have turned out had she not fallen into that sleep. Would she have married Thor anyway? Would she have been happy? What would have become of her and Loki's friendship?

"So," she said after a moment of silence. "When may I leave?"

"Do you wish to say goodbye to Loki first?"

Tears stung Jane's eyes at the thought of having to say goodbye to Loki. "I don't know if I can. When I told him earlier about my decision he didn't understand. It appears there are ways in which I cannot reach him after all."

"Have a care, Jane. Loki is new to love. It would pain him more if you left without saying goodbye."

Jane nodded. "Then I will do it." She made a mental note to stay strong when she did say goodbye to Loki though. His Silver Tongue could no doubt convince her to stay.


	14. Part XIV

**Part XIV**

Loki didn't want to see her. He didn't even deign to face her and tell her he didn't want to talk to her; he sent a servant to tell her no, he would not see her.

That hurt. Granted she had been planning to leave without saying an official goodbye, but still. It hurt. And, she had partly expected it. Thor was angry on her behalf, but Jane told him not to bother. Loki had his own crap to work out as far as Jane was concerned. Feeling as though she'd caused enough problems already she made Thor promise to be patient with Loki. Even defend him to Odin now and again. Thor promised, albeit grudgingly.

The one person that did want to speak to her before she left though was Frigga. For some reason facing her made Jane well up in tears. Probably because Frigga had always been so kind and maternal to her. She had often kept Frigga at arms length because of Odin, but Jane knew that wasn't fair to the Goddess. Frigga had welcomed Jane to Asgard with open arms, and she did love Loki so very much. Funny how that made people all right in Jane's book now: how well they treated Loki.

Standing together on the Rainbow Bridge, Thor went ahead to Heimdall leaving Frigga and Jane to speak. First thing Frigga did was hug Jane. "Are you sure this is what you want to do?" Frigga asked.

The question made Jane start to cry. Tears fell from her eyes as she gave into the hug and held Frigga tight. "No. But what I want and what I should do are two different things."

"I know you love my son, Jane," Frigga whispered and pulled back to look at her. "And I know how very much he loves you. He will come for you."

"Thor and I talked about it, Frigga, and I don't think—"

"I am not speaking about Thor."

Jane just looked at Frigga, speechless.

Frigga took Jane's hands. "I understand your need to return to Midgard. To sort this all out, perhaps even, given your kind nature, to make things better for Thor and Loki."

Jane nodded.

"But do not leave thinking that Loki does not love you and that his refusal to see you off means he does not care. He does. He feels things so deeply, my son, he…doesn't always handle it well when his feelings are bruised."

"I know," Jane whispered.

Frigga smiled sympathetically. "I know you understand him. You do more than any other."

"No, I don't think that's true."

Frigga nodded.

"How do you know all this anyway?" Jane asked. "About Loki and I?"

Frigga's smile was mysterious, a bit of mischief behind it. "Not much escapes my notice. Where do you think Loki has learned so many of his tricks?"

"Jane, the time is now if you are going to do this," Thor called out.

Jane held up her hand to signal to him to wait a minute and he nodded. She looked at Frigga. "Will you watch out for him? I mean, I know you will, but you know with his tendency to self-destruct—"

"I will," Frigga promised. "He will come for you, Jane."

"I don't know about that. Maybe I am making a mistake by leaving, and maybe I will regret it one day soon, but I just can't hurt everyone and turn more people against me and against Loki. I don't want to be the cause of more of a rift between Odin and Loki. Loki says he doesn't care but I know on some level he does. I don't want him to regret _me_ one day either." Jane felt a fresh batch of tears begin to prick her eyes. "Will you tell him…? Will you tell him that I love him?"

"He will want to hear it from you," Frigga said. "And he will."

She sounded so sure, but Jane was not. She hugged Frigga once more. "Thank you for everything, Frigga."

"You're welcome, dear. See you soon."

Jane wasn't sure about that, but she didn't have the heart to say anything about it. She turned with a wave and jogged to join Thor.

It was time to go home.

The Bifrost was swirling loudly, practically causing a tornado. It was not conducive to real goodbye for her and Thor, but Jane figured they had said all that needed to be said earlier.

He simply hugged her tight and with a voice cracking with emotion wished her well. She wished him the same, kissed his cheek, and off she went.

_There's no place like home_, she thought, as the Bifrost whooshed her away.

XXXXXXXX

Loki stayed in the tower, far away from everyone and everything. He'd watched from there as Jane had been taken away. His hands dug into the stone balustrade he stood before and he forced back tears that threatened to fall. No. He would not cry. She did not deserve his tears. She was leaving him; abandoning him. Just as everyone always did in the end. He ignored the ache in his heart. He'd be fine in a day or two. He'd forget all about her in time and move on. Maybe she was just a symptom of something he needed to take note of: perhaps it was time to take a consort. A Midgardian consort would never have done anyway.

"Loki."

Loki stiffened at the sound of his mother's voice. "Mother," he said without turning.

"Jane has left."

"Has she now? Well. Bully for her."

"She asked me to tell you something."

"Yes? What is it?"

"She loves you."

"No she doesn't," Loki blurted out bitterly. "If she loved me she wouldn't have left me."

"Oh, my son, have you not stopped to consider that she left _for_ you?"

"What are you on about?" he asked angrily and faced her finally. "You make about as much sense as _her_."

"Loki, Jane didn't leave because she didn't love you. She left because she does. She feared the rift her staying would cause between you and Thor, between you and your father—"

"I don't care about either of them," Loki hissed.

"Do you care about me?"

When it came to his mother, Loki always softened despite how much he didn't want to. Instead of answering her directly, he pursed his lips together and let her know by the look on his face that he found that question ridiculous and tiresome.

"Do you think I want my sons to be at odds with one another? Do you think I enjoy that?" Frigga asked.

Frustrated, Loki looked away from her.

"If I didn't think that Jane was the best thing to have ever happened to you, Loki, I would be very upset that she had caused the rift between you and Thor to grow wider. The repercussions this all could have had if Thor and Sif were not better suited for one another than Jane and Thor. Jane knew this. And she didn't want that for us. She cared about us that much. About _you_ and your place in the family."

"Maybe I don't want her, Mother," Loki said with false bravado. "Maybe what I wanted this whole time was to just seek revenge on Thor by taking Jane away from him."

Frigga shook her head. "You can't fool me, Loki. You can't even fool yourself this time. I knew from the moment you met her that you felt something that would change your life forever."

"Sentiment," Loki snarled.

"Yes, and you're full of that sentiment right now."

"Don't push me, Mother. You won't like the consequences."

"If the consequences are you eventually pulling yourself out of your melancholic fits and going to Midgard for Jane, then I would actually like that very much." With that, she left Loki stunned by her words and contemplating them for half a second before his hurt and his anger took over and he shoved the inclination to go after Jane down. She wanted to go and she went. That was the end of that as far as Loki was concerned.


	15. Part XV

**Part XV**

"Mother, tell me, just how attached are you to Loki?" Thor asked his mother as he came upon her in the gardens.

Frigga looked up at her son and grinned in amusement. "Quite attached. Why?"

"Because I am ready to hurt him." Thor sat down beside her on the stone bench. "Something needs to change and change soon. If he's not moping about, he's snarling at everyone. If he's not doing that, then he's playing practical jokes and impeding progress. Sif and Fandral were in the midst of a good sparring match when Loki switched their forms and put them both off kilter. He grows wearisome."

"I don't think it is I that can help in this instance," Frigga said.

Thor sighed and nodded. "Jane."

"Yes."

"I feel as though I should hate him."

"But you don't?"

Thor shook his head. "No, I don't. While Loki's best laid plans often go awry, I know that this is the one thing he never would have planned on."

"Exactly which part would he not have planned on?"

"Falling in love. I would not have put it past him for an instant to try and seduce Jane away from me, but the way he's been acting since she's left…"

"It's been a long three weeks," Frigga sighed.

"Yes," Thor chuckled. "He can tell me all he wants how he did all this to make me suffer but he is the one that's suffering. When will it end?"

XXXXXXXX

"When Loki gets his head out of his ass," Darcy said point-blank when Erik asked how long it would be until Jane stopped walking around as though in a fog and returned to her normal self.

Erik frowned and sat down at the kitchen table where Darcy was munching on some brownies. This was a perk to Jane's lovesick depression: she had taken to buying a lot of junk food.

"We're in London, a place she'd always wanted to visit, and all she has done is sleep," Erik said and picked out a brownie for himself. "Sleep and eat ice cream. Has she showered?"

"I made her this morning. She was smelling pretty rank. I told her how Loki would be turned off by the stench should he decide to visit. Then I made her put on clean clothes and then she went back to bed."

"She's not even interested in the theories I was working on while she was gone!"

Darcy sat back. "Have you ever had a broken heart, Erik?"

Erik nodded, looking sad. "A long time ago."

"Then you know how much it sucks."

Erik sighed. "I do."

"It'll take some time. I'm still holding out hope that Loki will stop wearing his ass as a hat and come for her. However, if he is as stubborn as she is it could be a while."

"I'm not entirely sure I want Jane to be with that homicidal maniac anyway," Erik muttered. "Have you forgotten what he did? How can you be so calm and accepting of this?"

Darcy shrugged. "Jane forgave him for all that. She loves him. She saw something in him on Asgard that was severely lacking here. Do I think it's just a step to the side from her marrying a prisoner in the county jail? You betcha. On the other hand, I trust Jane's judgment. She would not fall in love with just anyone and you should probably know better than I do about that."

Erik nodded and raked a hand through his already messy blond hair. "I do know. And she wouldn't. I still worry."

"I know," Darcy said with a smile.

"So, what do we do in the meantime?"

Darcy grinned and pointed to the counter behind him. "Hand me that laptop? I think we should see what movies are playing tonight and get Jane out of the house."

XXXXXXXX

"Didn't Jane often visit you up here?" Thor asked as he meandered his way over to Loki as his brother stood staring out over all of Asgard from the tower.

"What do you want?" Loki asked. He hadn't exactly snapped at Thor the way he had earlier that evening when Thor asked him if he wanted the last bit of mead at dinner, but there was still an edge there. Mostly, Loki just sounded weary.

"I've come to see if you'd perhaps like to take a ride."

Loki's shoulders stiffened. "A ride?"

"Yes, you know, on a horse. The way we used to—"

"Why?"

"I thought perhaps some physical exertion would help your mood."

"Physical exertion," Loki repeated with disdain. "I wish to exercise my mind, not my body."

"And staring out at all of Asgard is accomplishing that?"

"Just leave me be, brother."

Thor came to stand a few feet away from his brother. He knew better than to get too close. "No. I think it's time we talked."

"About?"

"You know what."

"Well, I have managed to read the peace treaty your Father is writing up—"

"_Our_ father. And you know that's not it." Loki said nothing and Thor prepared himself for this to be difficult. Since making small talk first hadn't worked, Thor figured he'd try the direct route first. "Why don't you go to her?"

"Sigyn is always trying to catch my fancy. Her bold display today wasn't anything I hadn't seen before—"

"Loki, go see Jane before I'm forced to use Mjolnir on you. You've been a miserable sod since Jane left and frankly, we are all rather tired of it. Have you not yet figured out that you want to be with Jane and that this existence you're living is just that – an existence? Go to Midgard. Find Jane. Have a visit and then bring her back."

"I don't want—"

"Yes, you do," Thor all but growled. "It's just your damnable pride that is keeping you from admitting that. You take things the wrong way and refuse to see any other side but your own. You can't see past your own nose sometimes. When Jane was here she could at least temper your…_temper_."

"Clever."

"Shut up. If Jane were here she'd tell you to get over it and stop acting like a petulant child."

Loki lifted his chin defiantly. "She never called me petulant."

"No, but I am."

Loki looked at him sharply. _Finally, something_, Thor thought. "Go see her, Loki. She loves you. Her parting words to me were about you, about looking out for you and having patience with you."

Loki bristled at that.

"For what it's worth, and even though you did not ask: you have my blessing." That being said, Thor left Loki alone knowing full well that he might be having this conversation more than once before Loki actually did something and went after Jane.

XXXXXXXXX

Loki was tired of this. He walked around with an ache in his chest constantly. He felt as though the weight of the nine realms was pressing down upon him daily and he had no reprieve. He couldn't sleep, food had no taste, and he was in a constant black mood. He found no joy in anything, not even in his tricks.

It was all _her_ fault. And Loki hated her for it. How dare she do this to him? How dare she make him fall in love with her and then _leave_ him in this state under some misguided sense of morality?

No, I'm not in love with her, Loki thought.

This, also, was a constant battle in his head. He fought with himself constantly over how he truly felt for Jane. He told himself that he hadn't really loved her, that he'd just convinced himself he did to better play the game of stealing her away from Thor. But sometimes, when he was alone and all of Asgard was asleep, Loki could admit that wasn't the case at all. He had even been moved to tears a few sleepless nights.

In the name of Valhalla he hated her for this weakness. And now, after his "talk" with Thor, Loki was more determined than ever to put an end to her torment of him. They all wanted him to go to Midgard. Fine. He would go and end this once and for all.

XXXXXXXX

"So, what did you think of the movie, Jane?" Darcy asked as she, Erik and Jane meandered through the streets of London after the movie to their flat.

"It was pretty good," Jane replied, trying her best to put forth some emotion in her voice. She knew her friends were worried about her, and she knew she had to at least try and participate in life again. She had been eager to see Erik and Darcy and then had promptly taken to holing herself up in the spare bedroom Erik had for her "just in case" she returned from Asgard. Seemed he knew better than she did how this would all turn out.

But really, this was enough. She was even tired of herself at this point. And if Loki were to come to her now she had a feeling she'd punch him rather than kiss him.

_Bastard_, she thought bitterly. _Self-absorbed prick. Arrogant asshole._ _He can just go fuck himself for all I care. I'm done with this crap. He can just take a long walk off one of Asgard's short—_

"Um, Jane? Is that Loki standing outside our flat?"

Jane's head snapped up and she gasped. Oh Good God, it was! He was dressed normally, like a mortal not an Asgardian in dark pants, a white shirt and blazer with some kind of scarf – of _course_ Loki would have a fucking fashion scarf! – but it was his dark hair and penetrating eyes that clued Jane into the fact that it was Loki. She would know those eyes and that hair anywhere.

She ran down the street to him. All thoughts of forgetting him and moving on and him fucking himself forgotten. He was here, he had come! Jane threw her arms around his neck and held on tight. "I missed you so much," she breathed.

He didn't hug her back at first and then his arms banded around her and she laughed and pulled back to look at him. "Loki, I can't breathe, you're crushing me."

He loosened his arms a fraction and then his lips came crashing down on hers.


	16. Part XVI

**Part XVI**

Loki was practically devouring Jane's mouth in the middle of the street and Jane didn't care a bit. She vaguely heard Darcy say something about her and Erik leaving and giving them the apartment for the night. All Jane could see and hear and feel was Loki, and judging by the way he lifted her in his arms until she was straddling him and pushed her against the wall of the building, all he could see and hear and feel was her.

"I love you," she managed to get out when his lips trailed to her neck. "I love you, Loki."

He stopped completely, his face buried in her neck. "Do you mean that?" he asked, his voice sounding raspy.

"Yes. Of course I mean it."

He pulled back and looked at her, the hurt in his eyes unmistakable. "You left me."

"I left Asgard, not you. I was here waiting for you the whole time."

Loki shut his eyes tight and pressed his forehead against hers. "Jane," he said and it sounded almost difficult for him to say just that. "I…I didn't know how to come to you."

"I know, you stubborn God," she said and cupped his face in her hands. "I know I hurt you by leaving. I hurt too, Loki, but I had to leave and let things settle. Tell me, have you and Thor made amends? You and Odin?"

"Jane, not now. Later." He kissed her hard, leaving her breathless. "I need you."

Jane nodded and pushed away from him, taking his hand in hers. "Follow me."

He smiled at her. "Of course."

Jane led Loki into the apartment building and then up to the flat she shared with Erik and Darcy. She was nervous; she could admit that to herself. Loki was used to Goddesses and Demi-Goddesses with perfect bodies. She was far from perfect and she feared Loki would be turned off by her imperfections.

Some of her fears abated however, when they entered her bedroom and Loki pulled Jane back against his front and nibbled at her neck with a growl. She could feel the tell-tale sign of his arousal against her backside and she shivered. "Oh, God, Loki," she moaned and turned in his arms so she could kiss him and touch him. "I love you so much."

"Say it again," he said huskily and began pushing her back to the bed.

"I love you," she whispered and kissed him, rifling her hands through his hair. She pulled at his scarf and Loki disposed of his blazer and began tugging on the hem of Jane's shirt. She helped him pull it up and off while she worked on the buttons of his shirt.

"I could just make our clothes disappear," he told her, his voice a deep rumble. "But I like undressing you. I like you undressing me."

"I like it, too," Jane murmured and when Loki's button down was gone, she began leaving hot open-mouthed kisses on his chest while her hands explored his satiny skin. He was cool to the touch and it felt so good under her hot hands. He groaned and tangled one hair in her hair.

Jane moved back and he looked at her in surprise and reached for her. "I want to see you," she said as she drank in his perfectly sculpted body. He was not as big as Thor; Loki was leaner and made her think of marble sculptures of perfectly formed men's bodies. "You're so beautiful, Loki," she whispered and stepped back into his space, this time working on his pants.

Loki's gaze was heated and, she noted, he was losing some patience. She understood the feeling. After so long of wanting him and not having him, after three weeks of being away from him – she wanted him so bad she could barely breathe.

Loki tugged on her bra and when it didn't come off so easily, he growled and in a shimmer of green light, it was gone. She stopped what she was doing and blinked up at him. "You made my bra disappear. Can you get it back?"

"Not now," he hissed and pushed her onto the bed. He stood before her as she rose up on her elbows. She still in her pants, Loki still in his – albeit unbuttoned pants, but the problem was they were still _on_.

He bent over her and undid the snap of her jeans and yanked them down, causing Jane to laugh with pure joy. "If you were wearing one of the dresses you wore on Asgard I would be inside you already," he told her.

"If you'd just made our clothes disappear as you mentioned you could you'd be—" she broke off as he made just that happen. Her gaze went straight to his hardened length and she had two thoughts: _1. My God he is glorious and 2. How the hell is that going to fit inside me?_

Jane forgot all about being self-conscious as she studied him and pondered the size of his cock until she heard Loki breathe deeply. She looked up at him and looking at her…reverently. As one might look upon a Goddess. Such as the ones he was used to.

He went to his knees before her and her eyes widened. She watched him spread her legs wide and move between them, leaning over her and licking up her slit. She gasped and then moaned.

They didn't call him Silver Tongue for nothing. She couldn't even begin to put into words how amazing his mouth was. He had her crying out in orgasm within maybe two minutes. And was working on making her come again, when he –

Stopped.

Jane looked down at him, desperate for that next release. "Loki – don't – why – I need—"

She sounded like an idiot but she was past caring. Loki smirked down at her and stroked one hand up and down his cock. "Do you think I will leave you wanting, Jane? Move up on the bed for me, darling. The next time you come I plan to be inside you. I want to feel you squeezing my cock inside you…"

Just his words had her teetering on the edge.

She scrambled back and reached for him and he moved over her, sleek and powerful and hers and she lifted and kissed him. "I love you."

"And I you," he murmured and lifted one of her legs over his hip. "You are so beautiful, my Jane."

She didn't know what to say. Thank you didn't seem the right response for some reason. All she could do was stare at him in wonderment.

"You don't believe me?" he whispered.

She swallowed hard and shrugged one shoulder. She felt the tip of his cock at her entrance and she wanted to weep for the feel of him. "Please, Loki…"

He surged inside her, stealing her breath completely and she shattered right there in his arms, her mouth open in a silent 'O'.

"Now I want you to scream for me," he rumbled in her ear.

Jane wasn't sure she could come again, but man was Loki determined to prove her wrong. She shut her eyes tight as he rode her through her earth shattering orgasm and clung to him, digging her nails in his skin.

"That's it," he rasped. "That's my Jane…"

"Loki, oh – I don't think I can—"

"Yes, you can. And you will," he said darkly and thrust harder, long strokes that made her feel every single glorious inch of him.

He pulled out then and flipped her effortlessly onto her belly. He leaned over her, spreading her wide as he fit himself back inside her. Jane clutched at the blankets on the bed, fisting them in her hand as Loki pushed her harder and faster.

"Glorious," he whispered. "I knew you'd feel this way…we fit, Jane. We fit together perfectly. Yes?"

"Yes," she croaked out and felt the tell-tale signs of another orgasm coming. "Loki," she whimpered.

"Again, Jane…now!"

As if he commanded her body – and really this proved he kind of did – she came, screaming just as he'd wanted her to. He held himself rigidly above her, keeping himself inside her so deep she could feel him everywhere.

"Jane," he gasped, and it almost sounded as though he was ready to cry. "In the name of Valhalla…"

Then he collapsed onto the bed beside her and brought her with him, never losing his place inside her. "Jane, Jane, my beautiful Jane," he murmured, pressing kisses to any part of her face he could reach. "How I love you…"

"You don't have to go back to Asgard soon, do you?" Jane asked dazedly. Her bones felt as though they were ready to liquefy.

"No. I'm not going anywhere without you, my love."

"Thank God," she breathed and gripped the hand that was pressed against her belly.

"Get some rest, my darling," he purred in her ear. "Because I am far from done with you tonight."


	17. Part XVII

**Part XVII**

Jane woke first, though she wasn't sure how after the night before. Loki had some stamina all right. She smiled to herself when she thought of a line in a movie she'd heard once: he made love like a God.

Oh yeahhhh….

She didn't want to think about the fact that Thor had the same stamina as well, but how they made love was very different – obviously. Thor's moves had always felt…practiced. He knew where to touch and for how long to get a reaction and he kept the same formula. Loki on the other hand, was all about exploring. He wanted to know exactly where to touch her to elicit a deeper moan, a deeper pleasure…and boy was he good at it. He'd discovered as she had discovered him.

And now, despite the fact that she was sore in a few new places, she wanted him again. Her smile widened as she looked at him as she slept. His dark hair was in disarray and his features were gentled and soft. He looked like a little boy and it made her heart ache. Her gaze roamed over the expanse of his muscled chest and the arms that had held her so tightly to him the night before.

_I love you, Loki,_ she thought. And now she was going to show him just how much.

She moved the sheet covering his bottom half as delicately as possible so as to not wake him and she licked her lips when she saw her prize: Loki's long, thick cock. Soft, it was still rather long and thick and Jane felt a stirring in her pussy at the remembrance of how that cock felt inside her.

Jane slid down the bed and got up on her knees next to him. Leaning over she brushed her lips across his cock, bestowing a kiss upon it. Then she licked it. Finally, she took it in her hand and then in her mouth.

"Jane," Loki gasped, his throat rough from sleep. He placed a hand in her hair, a silent plea to not stop. She'd had no intention of doing any such thing.

Soon he was hard and still Jane did not stop her ministrations. Then he tugged lightly on her hair. "Jane, up…" he muttered.

"I want to make you come," she told him and cupped his balls with one hand.

Loki's back arched off the bed. "Inside you," he said, "I want to be inside you."

"But—"

With a growl, Loki sat up and pulled her over him. Jane laughed and then groaned when he slid up inside her depths. "Loki," she whimpered.

"Tease," he said with a growl as he looked up at her, his green eyes flashing with desire and humor.

She smirked. "Well, I do have to keep up with the God of Mischief – oh fuck, Loki, just like that…"

What had turned into Jane wanting to "take" Loki, had turned into Loki taking her. Not that she minded.

She came hard at least twice before he was done. Then he held her against him, their bodies slick with sweat. "I love you," she murmured, her head under his chin.

"I will never tire of hearing you say that," he murmured back as he stroked her back.

"Wow it's so nice to be back here!"

Darcy had arrived. Jane giggled when she then heard Erik say very loudly, "Yes, it is very nice to be back home!"

"What are they doing?" Loki asked in amusement.

"Making sure if we're having sex we are aware that they are here and could hear us."

"In that case…" and then Loki tickled her and Jane burst out laughing – loudly.

"Maybe we should go again!" Darcy said loudly.

"I think we should!" Erik shouted in agreement.

"Wait, no!" Jane squeaked whilst trying to stop Loki and catch her breath.

Loki ceased and laughed, allowing Jane to scramble off of him and hastily throw on a robe to greet her friends. This was Erik's place after all…

"Wait!" Jane called out just as Erik was opening the door to leave. Darcy and Erik faced her. Erik frowned. Darcy grinned. "You don't have to go, I swear," Jane told them. "Loki heard you – we both did – he was just tickling me."

Erik now looked pained and Darcy intrigued. Jane blushed. "Just come back in. I'll make us all breakfast."

Then Loki came out in his trousers and nothing else and Darcy tossed her purse to the floor and said, "Sure."

Jane pointed at her. "Stop ogling my boyfriend."

Darcy just grinned and Erik slowly shut the door, looking as though he still really wanted to go.

XXXXXXXX

Loki wasn't quite sure what to make of Jane's friends. He had heard much about them, but he also knew how enamored of Thor they had been. Plus, there had been that business in Puente Antiguo that he was sure hadn't made him look quite so good…

Loki sat at the table after putting a shirt on as Jane had directed. He'd smiled to himself as he'd magicked himself a shirt to wear. It seemed Jane did not want anyone else looking upon him. That was fine with Loki. He felt the same way about her. He knew that with a woman as beautiful as she, she would gain the attention of men and women alike. Loki wasn't above putting the fear of death in any who attempted to take what was his.

He looked over at Jane as she sipped her coffee and smiled at her friends. She must have felt him looking at her for she looked over at him and smiled broadly at him. He felt himself falling in love even deeper with her. Yes, she was definitely his.

"So, what are your plans then, Loki?" Erik Selvig asked him.

Loki looked at him. "Pardon?"

"You are returning to Asgard at some point, are you not?"

"Erik, Loki and I haven't discussed that part yet," Jane said kindly, but Loki detected the hard edge to her words.

Loki frowned and looked at Erik. "Well, one day perhaps, yes."

Erik blinked. "So what does that mean? You're going to stay here then? On Earth?"

"I'd rather thought Jane and I could explore the cosmos together," Loki said and looked at Jane who was staring at him, her mouth open. He smiled.

She shut her mouth and blinked. "Really? Like…really?"

"Do you want to? There are different planets I could take you to so that you could study the stars the way you want—" Loki broke off when Jane jumped up and ran around the table, took his face in her hands and proceeded to pepper his face with kisses.

Loki pulled her down onto his lap and kissed her properly and faintly he heard the movement of chairs against the floor and Erik saying loudly, "Okay, we're going now. Darcy, stop staring, let's go."

Loki stood with Jane in his arms, and carried her back to the bedroom to love her properly yet again.


	18. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

**One Year Later**

"Are you happy, Jane?" Loki asked as he pulled her back against him and wrapped his arms around her. They were back in Asgard, having just married that day, and they were in the tower they often loved to visit looking out over the city.

Jane placed her hands over Loki's and nodded, humming contentedly. "I am very happy, Loki. Are you? It's too late to back out now."

"Jane, you have made me happier than I thought I could ever be. You are my entire world."

Jane turned in his arms and rested her head on his chest, smiling when she heard the thump of his heart. "I do not regret anything, Loki."

"Even becoming an Aesir?"

She looked up at him. "I ate that apple happily and eagerly."

Loki smiled and ran his fingers through her long hair. "How was it seeing Thor again, love?"

Jane shrugged. "It was a little strange, but he and Sif are married and happy and I am happy for him. I think…well, I think I had to come here and fall under that sleeping spell. If I hadn't, then you and I might have never figured out how we truly felt for each other."

Loki arched a brow. "You forget, Jane, that I was already in love with you by then. The sleeping spell just moved it along."

"And move things along it did. We've traveled among the planets and stars. I've made breakthroughs in astrophysics thanks to that—"

"Ah, see? This is what you love me for."

Jane laughed and pinched his arm. "Come now, Loki. You know that's not it. I also love the way you make love to me."

Loki feigned hurt. "Is that all I am to you? Your travel guide and the one who makes you come?"

She smiled and leaned up to kiss him. "You know that's not all. I love your brilliant mind, your magic – especially when you teach it to me – how sweet you are, your mischievousness…I love everything about you, Loki."

"And I you, my wife," Loki murmured and kissed her softly. "What do you say we go to our room and have our wedding night?"

"Yes, please."

Hand-in-hand, Loki and Jane made their way down the tower stairs and to their bedroom. Chances were they would not stay in Asgard long before traveling again to wherever they felt they wanted to go. Things between Loki and Odin were not as strained – the year away from Asgard had done them good – but Loki and Jane were not ones to stay put for long. Jane had a thirst for knowledge and to see all that she could of the universe and Loki wanted to be the one to give that all to her. His wandering spirit had found a home in Jane and vice versa.

"Hello, Mother," Loki greeted Frigga as he and Jane passed by her in the hall.

"Turning in?" Frigga asked as she stopped to chat with her son and daughter-in-law.

Jane curled into Loki's side and smiled. Loki wrapped his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. "We are," he replied. "Thank you again, for the beautiful wedding."

"Of course, my son. Welcome to the family, Jane."

Jane smiled and then pushed away from Loki long enough to hug Frigga. Frigga hugged her back warmly and then the pair waved and headed down the hall together.

Frigga smiled as she watched them go and thought that though it had gotten a little hairy for a little while after she'd put that sleeping spell on Jane, things had turned out exactly the way she'd hoped and knew they would.


End file.
